


Faith

by CarnwennanB312



Series: A Leap of Faith [1]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-10-25 21:17:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 37,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10772592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarnwennanB312/pseuds/CarnwennanB312
Summary: Mass Effect Andromeda rewrite because I feel like there was a lot of glaring plot and character development issues that kept Andromeda from being my new favorite game in the series. Eventual Sara/Reyes with Scott/Cora as the Beta Couple.





	1. Home

Sara gasped, the air burning her lungs. Panicking, she opened her eyes but quickly closed them again as white light seared her retinas. She counted the heartbeats that pounded in her ears, taking slow breaths until it no longer hurt. Only then could Sara open her eyes again to see the round ceiling above her. The cryo-bay on the Hyperion. They’d made it. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she tried to sit up.

“Take it easy,” said an unfamiliar voice.

Ignoring the warning, she pushed herself to the edge of a medical bed. Her eyes came to focus on a doctor and his assistant, both of them typing on their omnitools.

“What is your name?” asked the doctor distractedly.

“Sara Ryder,” she croaked past the stiffness of her throat.

“Assignment?”

“Pathfinder Team.”

He let his omnitool disappear, finally looking at her with a kind smile.

“Welcome to Andromeda.”

Sara sat in the medbay, her arms resting on her knees as she stared into her cup of coffee. The steam curled around the edges of the mug, twisting and turning with the changes in the air.

“The coffee’s shit, ain’t it?” came an accented voice from her left.

She turned to find a dark-skinned man setting aside his own cup in disgust.

“Reminds me of cop-coffee. More mud than coffee,” he said.

She smiled, setting down her cup as well, “Well versed in the ways of cop-coffee, eh?”

He smiled back, “You could say that. Name’s Liam Kosta.”

He held out his hand and she took it in a firm shake, “Good to meet you, Kosta. I’m Sara Ryder.”

An Asari doctor came to a stop in front of Sara, pulling her attention from Liam’s friendly smile.

“Sara, how are you feeling?” she asked in a kind voice.

Sara took in the doctor’s soft eyes and slow movements.

“I’m ready to get out there.”

The doctor tapped on her omnitool before holding up a finger in front of Sara’s face,

“Look here,” she said as she moved the finger from left to right and back again. Sara dutifully followed the doctor’s directions. Watching the movement with glittering eyes.  
Satisfied, the doctor began typing on her omnitool again, “Don’t worry, soon you’ll be exploring to your heart’s content. All I have to do is check your SAM implant and you’ll be free to go.”

The doctor moved to a console where she typed while looking up at the ceiling.

“SAM, are you online?”

“Yes Dr. T’Perro,” said the mechanical voice of SAM, the A.I. her father had created for the Andromeda Initiative.

“Please, run a full diagnostic of Sara's implant."

A few seconds passed before SAM replied, “All systems normal.”

Sara smirked, “Thanks, SAM.”

The doctor turned away from the console and gave Sara a soft smile, “Everything looks fine. You’re free to go.”

Sara was just about to race out of the medbay when she saw her brother walking from the cryo-bay with the help of the same doctor who had woken her. He was shown to the bed across from her where he sat rubbing his eyes before blinking and finally coming to focus on her.

“Hey, Scott. Long time, no see,” she said in a teasing tone.

He smiled, “I know, it feels like it’s been centuries.”

She laughed, “Six-hundred years and your jokes are still lame.”

“And you’re still short," he shot back, "Some things never change."

Her laughter died as the lights flickered and everything in the medbay began floating.

“What the hell?” exclaimed Liam as he hovered above the bed, grabbing onto the railing to keep himself in place.

"Gravity malfunction in Medical Bay One," said SAM, his tone devoid of urgency.

Sara looked at Scott who was floating just above his bed. With a nearly imperceptible nod, they both tried to pull themselves toward the medbay’s central power console. It proved a useless exercise, as they only got halfway to the door when it hissed open and Cora came floating in.

“I’m in the medbay,” she said into her communicator, “Initiating a hard reset in 3-2-1.”

She tapped a button on the console and everything fell to the floor, including Scott and Sara who hit the surface with a vicious sounding thud. Scott was the first to recover, pushing himself to his feet and toward Cora. Sara followed.

“Cora, is everything alright?” asked Scott.

Cora turned toward him, having landed on her feet in front of the console.

“There’s been some system malfunctions. We’re trying to keep everything running but we’re scrambling.”

Scott crossed his arms and Sara had to stifle a smirk. Her brother and his lame jokes were gone. Scott Ryder had arrived in Andromeda.

“Did we make it to Habitat Seven?” he asked.

Cora averted her eyes, “Your father has more information than I do. I suggest you both get cleared by Lexi and join us on the bridge.”

On cue, the Asari doctor arrived next to Sara, “Sara is free to go but we still have to finish Scott’s assessment. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”

Cora gave Lexi a thankful smile before turning to Sara, “You ready?”

Scott frowned and looked as if he was about to protest before Sara softly punched him in the arm.

"Lighten up, Scott. It can't be as bad you think."

His expression softened and he sighed, "Fine. Let’s get this over with, doc."

With a nod and a smirk, Sara followed Cora out.

On the other side of the door, Sara regretted her optimistic words. Smoke billowed from the generator on the left side of the room as technicians scurried about in a panic.

“Shit!” exclaimed Sara as she dodged a spray of sparks.

“We gotta get the power back online, now!” yelled a voice from above but Sara didn’t need to be told twice. She rushed toward the generator, activating her scanner. Within seconds she found the problem, or rather SAM did.

“The relay is bad!” she yelled to the technician near the power control console. His eyes widened before he began typing and swiping hastily. There was a hiss of arcing electricity, followed by the persistent buzzing of a turbine.

“I got it! We’re back up!” exclaimed the technician.

“Good,” said another technician, relief apparent in her voice, “A few more seconds and the cryo-bay would have lost power. Thanks, Ryder.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said with a mock salute as she continued past the chaos toward the tram.

“That was some quick thinking, Ryder," said Cora as they entered the tramway, "I can see why Alec wanted you on the team.”

Sara laughed, “Yeah, because being his daughter had nothing to do with it.”

She caught Cora frowning before she turned to select a destination on the tram console. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

“Of course not,” said Sara, not being entirely truthful, “My dad doesn’t believe in handouts. You should have seen when Scott and I were kids. We had to be the best, no exceptions.”

“Sound’s like your father,” said Cora with a laugh in her voice.

A moment later, the tram came to a stop and they disembarked to find the Captain and Alec arguing in the middle of the bridge.

“The protocol is clear. When we arrive at our assigned golden world or first step is to send the Pathfinder team to scout out the planet.”

The captain scowled, “With all due respect, Pathfinder, does that look like a golden world to you?”

Sara’s eyes went wide as she saw the planet before them. It wasn’t the tropical, moderate planet from the vids. It was dark green and covered in vicious storm clouds that pulsed with lightning. Reaching toward the planet like encroaching shadows were malicious dark grey tentacles threaded with orange light.

“What the hell happened?” asked Sara thoughtlessly.

“Excellent question,” said the Captain, “which is why I think we should go to plan B. Rendezvous with the Nexus and send a scout team later.”

“And what if the Nexus isn’t complete or even operational? We need to be sure that this planet is uninhabitable before we turn tail. This ship has a finite amount of fuel. If something’s wrong with the Nexus, we won’t be able to make it back here. With any hope, we can at least find some resources to help us in case ‘plan B’ doesn’t work out.”

“He has a point, ma’am,” said Cora, “it doesn’t hurt to at least scout the planet before we give up hope.”

Alec stoically nodded in agreement, the only indication that he appreciated her support.

The captain sighed, “Fine but I want regular status reports. If you go dark, we will only wait one hour before we head for the Nexus.”

“Fair enough,” said Alec as he turned toward the door. He eyed Sara and Cora as he passed, “Suit up.”

“Yes, sir!” replied Sara and Cora in unison.

 

Scott slammed his locker shut, causing Sara to raise her eyebrow at him.

He sighed, letting go of his frustration.

“Come on, Scott, it isn’t that bad.”

“Did you see the initial scans of the planet?” he asked, “Perpetual lightening storms, warped magnetic fields. It doesn't look promising.”

She smiled at him, “Don’t worry, if Habitat Seven doesn’t work out, Dad will find something else. When have you ever known him to give up?”

"I guess you're right. This one of the few times I’m glad he’s such a persistent old bastard.”

Sara's smile fell into a deep frown and Scott pinned her with a knowing look, “Don’t go there, Sara.”

She took a deep breath, letting go of her anger, “Fine. Come on, we’d better get to the hangar.”

“I’m right behind you.”

“As per tradition,” she teased.

 

Scott and Sara strolled up to find the team Doctor, in full armor, loading a crate with medical supplies.

“What you doing doc?” asked Scott.

The doctor looked up with a smile, “Your dad wanted a medic along on the mission and I gotta say, if that’s home down there I’m glad to knock on the door.”

“You and me both,” said Sara, “you got your famous quote ready? One small step and all that jazz?”

The doctor laughed, “I’m sure your father will get that honor.”

“Listen up everyone!” said Alec from the doorway of one of the shuttles.

The team gathered around, their excitement palpable.

“I chose each of you for the Pathfinder team not just because you’re talented fighters but because you’re dreamers, like me. Today, we’re making history.”

“Here, here!” exclaimed Liam from Sara’s left. He was grinning widely and she found herself mirroring his excitement.

“Alright, let’s move out team! Scott, Sara, Cora, on me.”

They stepped toward Alec as everyone else scurried toward their assigned shuttles.

“Cora, I want you with me. Scott and Sara will be on shuttle two. Keep sharp, I have a feeling that things are going to get worse before they get better.”

“Let’s hope you're wrong,” said Scott.

“Yeah,” said Alec before turning to find his seat on the shuttle, “Let’s hope.”

Cora gave them both a hopeful, albeit reserved, smile before she followed Alec into the shuttle.

With a knowing glance at each other, Scott and Sara turned on their heels to board shuttle two. Liam was already inside, his helmet on and itching to leave. Sara and Scott took their seats, putting on their helmets as the doors closed and the shuttle rose. The interior of the Hyperion sped by before finally revealing a stunning view of the Andromeda galaxy. All three of them stood, rushing toward the window to get a better look.

“Shit, that looks bad,” said Liam, eyeing the grey and orange tendrils cautiously.

“No joke,” replied Sara.

They continued to stare as the shuttle broke through the atmosphere and they were greeted by the lightning flashes and jagged rock faces of Habitat Seven.

“Are those mountains floating?” asked Scott.

“Look!” said Sara, bouncing like a little girl as she pointed toward a large structure in the distance.

“What are those? Monoliths?” asked Cora through the coms.

“Hyperion, we have evidence of a possible alien presence on the planet,” said Alec before addressing the team, "Stick to first contact protocols. No show of force unless hostile intent is clear."

She’d turned to flash Scott an excited smile when a flash of lightning blinded her. She blinked past the black spots in her vision to see the shuttle door had been ripped from its hinges.

“Ryder!”

Sara looked down to see Liam gripping the shuttle desperately. Without hesitation, Sara grabbed the edge of the threshold.

“Kosta! Hold on!” she said through gritted teeth as she strained to reach him.

Just as their fingertips touched, Liam was ripped away by sudden turbulence. The strength of the jolt weakened Sara’s grip and she was torn from the shuttle.

“SARA!” she heard Scott scream inside her helmet as she started accelerating toward the planet. Pushing down her fear, she tried to use her jump jet to slow her descent. It sputtered.

“Sara, your jump jet appears to be malfunctioning,” said SAM, far too calmly for her liking.

“GET IT WORKING!” she yelled.

“You’ve reached terminal velocity,” continued SAM and Sara found herself cursing. Six hundred years and she was going to die on Habitat Seven. It was almost comical.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her, pulling her back toward the sky with the whoosh of a jump jet.

They decelerated but not enough to keep them from hitting the planet surface so hard that Sara’s shields shattered in a crack of electricity. She was ripped from her rescuer as she bounced off the planet’s surface and tumbled down the rock face and finally came to rest on her back underneath a group of floating rock formations.

A hissing sound pulled her attention to her right where Scott was lying. His eyes were wide and he was gasping, struggling to keep breathing as all the air seeped through a crack in the face shield.

Sara scrambled to his side, tapping her omnitool frantically as she pulled up her repair tool to seal the glass. He coughed as the pressure returned to his helmet and he could begin taking in oxygen again. Sara let out a breath of relief.

“You alright?” she asked. Scott nodded past his coughing.

Sara stood and held out her hand to help him up as his coughing subsided. Turning, they found themselves standing on a cliff overlooking the rocky terrain of Habitat Seven.

It was as if they had stepped into a fantasy novel. Lightning flashed like heartbeats across the landscape, the electricity crackling through the air. Orange bioluminescent plants dotted the scene, adding splashes of color to the jagged grey of the surface.

“It’s beautiful,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” said Scott, “Beautiful but dangerous.”

She turned to admonish him but he was already on the team coms.

“Dad? Cora? Is anyone there?”

“Save your breath, Ryder,” came a familiar voice on the local channel. They turned to find Liam jogging up to them, a little winded, “Coms are down.”

Scott cursed as he turned his omnitool off and scanned the scenery once more.

“If Dad’s in one piece he’ll try to send a signal,” said Scott.

As if on cue, three red flares shot into the sky.

Sara elbowed Scott with a smile, “It’s like you’re psychic.”

Liam chuckled even as Scott sighed in exasperation.

“Shut up and take point, Recon Specialist,” said Scott as he pulled the pistol from his hip to check the thermal clip.

Sara gave him a sarcastic salute before starting in the direction of the flares, “Yes, sir, Ground Commander.”

They made their way across the planet’s dangerous terrain when they noticed billowing smoke beyond the horizon.

“I don’t understand,” said a desperate human voice through the local com channel.

“That’s Fisher,” whispered Liam.

They rushed toward the smoke, coming to a ravine where broken pieces of their shuttle were scattered. Sitting against the largest piece of wreckage was Fisher, with a gun held to his head. Aggressive-sounding language spewed from the aliens when Fisher didn't move in the direction it wanted.

Fisher's arms were raised in surrender as he tried to make the alien closest to him understand. “I can’t move!” He yelled in panic.

Sara ducked behind an outcropping of rocks, crouching low to avoid detection. Scott and Liam followed suit, automatically gripping their weapons but Scott stopped himself. He deliberately holstered his gun again, clenching his fist to control his impulse.

“No weapons,” said Scott, “we gotta communicate that we are not hostile.”

Liam scoffed, “Right, those guys look like they just need a hug. Screw first contact protocol. All that’s gonna do is get Fisher killed.”

Sara holstered her own weapon, taking charge while Scott and Liam glared at each other.

“Scott’s right, Kosta. We just got to this galaxy, we don’t want to start a war before we’ve even found a home.”

Liam’s eyes narrowed but he followed their example.

Satisfied, Sara glanced at Scott in silent communication before rising from behind cover with her hands in the air.

“That man is with us,” she announced, walking toward the aliens cautiously.

They pointed their weapons at her and she froze.

“We come in peace,” said Scott from behind her. Glancing back, she saw that he was following her lead. He tried to be as non-threatening as possible, keeping his hands in the air and staying back so that Sara approached the aliens alone.

Fisher looked at her with wide and frightened eyes, “Ryder! They want me to move but I can’t! My leg! I think it's broken!”

The aliens yelled at her in their strange language but weren’t attacking, so Sara took a tentative step forward. She pointed at Fisher and then back to herself then again to Fisher.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand but I just want to make sure he is okay. Alright?”

Alien eyes followed the direction of her gestures, looking from Sara to Fisher and back again until one just turned and fired a bullet through Fisher's skull.

Sara gasped as blood sprayed across the remains of their shuttle, painting it red.

On instinct, she moved for her pistol as the alien weapons turned on her. Lightning flashed in the same moment a gun fired. It wasn’t the sharp crack of a human gun but the still familiar whistle of an energy weapon. Sara’s heart stopped.

Purple and blue energy surrounded her, deflecting the projectile that would have landed right between her eyes.

Adrenaline took over as she dove behind a boulder, rolling into a crouching position with her back pressed against the stone. At some point during her movements, she had pulled her pistol from her thigh, instantly feeling at home with it in her hands. She peeked around the boulder only to have another projectile ricochet off the rock near her face.

She quickly calculated the trajectory of the projectile and her body reacted, rising from behind cover.

Inhale, aim, fire.

Everything was moving in slow motion as she watched the super-heated projectile fly across the ravine and explode between the eyes of the alien who had fired at her.

Exhale, duck, rise, inhale, aim, fire.  
Another alien fell.

It was as if she had never left the Milky Way.

“Clear!” said Liam as he rose from behind a boulder to her right.

“Clear,” repeated Scott as he did the same, the hum of his biotics going silent.

Sara rose, carefully scanning the area for movement and found none.

“Clear,” she agreed and Liam cursed.

He was looking down at Fisher’s body in disgust, “Bastards shot him. He was helpless and they just shot him!”

Sara looked away as her stomach clenched.

She felt Liam’s eyes on her as he let out an angry sigh, “Sorry Ryder, I know you wanted to give peace a chance and all but-“

“Hey!" she exclaimed defensively, "We don’t understand the language and our translators can’t compensate. It’s sad but this could all be a misunderstanding. After all, how would you feel if someone showed up on earth, armed and armored? You can be sure we’d shoot first and ask questions later.”

Guilt and anger colored Sara’s argument. Her fingers clenched around her weapon until realization bloomed and she holstered her pistol with more force than necessary.

“Believe that if you want,” spit Liam, “but Fisher was no threat.”

Scott stepped between them. “We can fight about first contact protocol later. Right now we need to find the other shuttle and restore communications.”

Contrite, Liam offered Sara a silent apology. She sighed and nodded in reply.

“What about Fisher? We can’t just leave him here,” said Liam.

“We’ll have to retrieve his body later,” replied Scott.

Sara nodded, “Yeah. If coms are down, that means we only have an hour before the Hyperion leaves to rendezvous with the Nexus. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be stuck on this planet.”

Liam sighed heavily, “Damnit, alright. Let’s go.”

Sara drew her pistol and moved to retake the point, instincts dominating despite her internal disgust. It didn’t matter how far she got from the Milky Way, she couldn’t outrun herself.


	2. Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited 9/27/17

Gunfire hit Sara’s ears like the voice of a dead friend, intimate and haunting. Tilting her head slightly, she signaled for Scott and Liam to halt. The familiar crack of a Carnifex and the boom of a Crusader were contrasted by the whistling of alien energy weapons.

“Firefight ahead. Sound’s like our people,” she said.

Then a voice crackled through the coms, barely recognizable but filled with anger and desperation, “Pathfinder! Where are you? We’re being overrun!”

“That’s Cora,” breathed Scott, his eyes widening.

“Scott!” yelled Sara but he rushed past her, either not hearing or not caring for her warning. Cursing, she ran after him, quickly coming upon the scene.

Cora was the furthest forward, her biotic attacks rippling through the air in a nearly constant stream, but she was pinned down with the aliens gaining on her position. Slightly back and to the left was Hayes, her red hair visible from behind the rock formation that was her cover. Hayes was trying to keep the enemy from encroaching as best as she could with well-placed shots from her pistol. The farthest back was Harry, who was laying down a barrage of indiscriminate fire on the right side to keep the aliens in cover. They were all in a dangerous position that would soon find Cora exhausted and the others railroaded by the large number of alien forces.

Taking the high ground, Sara fired on the aliens directly below while Scott focused his biotic lances on those closest to Cora’s position. Liam soon followed, landing precision havoc strikes on the aliens who had grouped behind the rock formations on the right side.

It didn’t take the team long to finish the fight.

Scott was the first down the hill, his biotics still swirling around him as he jogged across the field. Sara, on the other hand, took her time. She carefully skirted the fallen aliens, their strange twisted bodies covered in thick green-brown blood.

Harry and Cora met them halfway, their relief palpable.

“Cavalry to the rescue,” said Harry with a broad smile.

Scott stopped in front of Cora who was resting against her cover and trying to catch her breath.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked.

“We’re in one piece thanks to you,” said Cora once her breathing regulated, “You guys arrived just in time.”

“Where’s dad?” asked Sara, scanning her surroundings more out of habit than expectation.

“He went to scout the area while we tried to fix the coms. Everything was fine until those aliens dropped in and just started shooting,” said Hayes with enough acid in her voice to burn through iron.

Liam’s frown matched Hayes’, “Yeah, those assholes killed Fisher in cold blood.”

Sara shot Liam a glare and he had the wherewithal to avert his gaze. Maybe he hadn’t meant it as an ‘I told you so’ but Sara definitely didn’t need another reminder that he’d been right from the start.

Noticing the exchange, Harry stepped in, “We should work on getting the coms back up and fixing the shuttle if we want to get off this planet.”

“Agreed,” said Scott, already motioning for Hayes to follow him.

Meanwhile, Sara pulled the back up weapons and ammo from the shuttle. They would probably need it.

“We’re back up!” yelled Hayes and Sara was immediately greeted by SAM.

“Sara, the Pathfinder would like to speak with you,” said the A.I., already pulling up a vidcall.

“Sara,” he said, looking everywhere but at the screen, “It’s good to see you’re in one piece. Who is with you?”

“Scott, Cora, Liam, Hayes, and Harry.”

Scott appeared over Sara’s shoulder, “Dad, the shuttle is operational. We need to rendezvous so we can get off the planet.”

Her father scoffed, “Not with these storms, we’d never get off the ground.”

Sara felt Scott tense behind her, “Yeah, well I’d rather take my chance with the lightning than be stuck here for who knows how long fighting aliens.”

Her father’s eyes narrowed, “There’s always a solution, Scott. You just have to look for it.”

The sensation of air swirling around her brother told Sara it was time to step in.

“So you have a plan?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said their father, “ you and Scott meet me at these coordinates and I’ll fill you in. Cora, Liam, Hayes, and Harry will remain with the shuttle. Make sure it’s ready to go when I give the word.”

“Yes, sir,” said Cora.

With a curt nod, Alec hung up the call. Scott sighed and the dark energy around him dissipated. Sara passed him a smirk before inputting the coordinates and creating a waypoint.

Dutifully, Scott pulled out his weapon and waited for her to take point.

 

Of course, Alec saw Scott and Sara before they saw him.

“Stay low,” he said over the coms. They did as he commanded, slowly ascending the cliff where Alec had hunkered down to watch the area below.

The monolith was a wonder, its glistening black exterior both modest and progressive. A stream of energy emitted from the top of the structure to create a swirling vortex of angry clouds.

Yet, Alec was focused on structures at its base. The curving walkways leading to staggering platforms were certainly not a part of the original edifice. Aliens patrolled the area in mass, each one on alert.

“Man, who are these guys?” asked Sara.

“I don’t know but they’re not native to the planet,” said Alec.

“That makes sense,” said Scott, “we found a crashed ship earlier. It looked like it was bringing in supplies from off-planet.”

“Good, you actually did some scouting,” said Alec harshly.

Scott frowned, “That’s what we came all this way for, right? To explore?”

“Glad something sunk in.”

Sara chuckled awkwardly, “Well, it's easy to forget with energy blasts whizzing past your ears. Besides finding that ship, we also found some interesting structures. It’s like these aliens are studying the ancient technology here.”

Her father glanced at her, “This isn’t some Prothean dig site, Sara. Whatever these guys are up to, it isn’t innocent. Not with a military presence this strong.”

Sara quickly adopted her brother’s icy exterior, “You said you had a plan?”

Stiffening, Alec gestured toward the monolith, “The dark energy that the Hyperion hit is affecting this tower. SAM says it’s creating the storms. I say we infiltrate the structure and shut it down. No more tower, no storms. No more storms, no more lightning.”

“You make it sound simple but there have to be hundreds of aliens down there,” said Sara.

“As I've told you kids a hundred times, there’s always a way. You just have to find it " Alec brought up his omnitool and Sara readied her weapon.

Alec tapped his omnitool and explosions erupted around the complex, targeting the needle-like constructs on the perimeter. Lightning, loud and robust, followed the blasts. Suddenly the aliens were under assault as the weather turned to the Ryders’ advantage.

Without another word, Alec used a combination of biotics and his booster to land at the bottom of the cliff.

Sara cursed under her breath but Scott was already pulling dark energy toward them. He waited for her nod of approval before following Alec over the cliff, slowing their decent with his biotics.

On the ground, chaos surrounded them but their father was already pushing forward, holding up a biotic shield to keep them from being shot. As the stronger biotic, Scott soon took over shielding responsibilities while Alec and Sara took down any aliens in their path.

They stopped when they found a bizarre console made from the same materials as the monolith. Alec rushed toward it and pressed his hand to the console, causing the pentagonal face to shift.

“SAM, get us through that door,” ordered Alec.

“Yes, Pathfinder.”

Alec waited for the A.I. to complete it’s task while Scott and Sara took up a defensive position.

Sara knelt behind a barricade, picking off enemies as they descended the ramp toward her. One of the aliens rolled behind cover, firing at her blindly. She managed to duck just before a stray bullet ricocheted where her head had been.

A warping sound erupted and Sara rose again. The alien who had fired at her was suspended in the air by swirling dark energy. Sara took a deep breath and fired. The alien’s head exploded just before it fell to the ground in a heap.

Ducking back behind cover, she looked over at Scott. He was taking cover behind some crates, rising from safety only long enough to send out the occasional biotic lance or singularity. His fierce expression matched hers as they fell into old habits- both of them slipping into the familiar shoes of the soldier.

Their father was behind them, tapping on his omnitool, determination wrinkling his eyes. She could almost see the thoughts turning in his head, the constant stream of tactical analysis.

It was his fault that they had come to Andromeda to explore and ended up falling into the same thought patterns. Shoot first, complete the mission- skewed morals instilled in them from the time they were old enough to hold a weapon.

Yet she couldn’t fight the comfortable warmth in her hands as she ejected her thermal clip, loaded another, and pulled back the slide.

“SAM, what’s our progress?” she heard her father ask through the coms as she took out three more aliens that were running down the catwalk.

“I am working as quickly as I can,” replied the A.I., its cold voice unnerving.

After firing on another group of approaching enemies, Sara popped another thermal clip. She reached for a replacement on her belt and came up empty.

“Shit, I’m out,” she said, looking at Scott hopefully.

He pulled one from his belt and tossed it to her.

“That’s the last one I’ve got,” he said.

She nodded, “Thanks.”

Sending the clip into the chamber, she took out two more enemies only to see an alien with a machine gun appear. A shower of gunfire splintered her cover, forcing her to dive away as her shields shattered.

“Anytime would be great, SAM,” said Sara between gasping breaths as she pressed her back against the green console that was her new cover.

“The door is unlocked, Pathfinder,” said SAM, as if he was just waiting for her to complain before solving the puzzle.

“Damnit, it’s jammed!”

Sara looked over to find her father pulling on the door uselessly.

“Cover me!” she yelled, already moving toward the door.

Scott threw up a biotic field, blocking the heavy fire as Sara ran past him.

Combining their strength, she and her father managed to push the door open to reveal the darkness within.

“Watch my back,” ordered her father as he crossed the threshold to enter the Monolith.

She turned, aiming at approaching aliens as she backed into the building behind him.

The door closed in front of her once she crossed the threshold, enveloping her in blackness. She blinked, trying to make her eyes adjust but a sudden white light rendered her efforts useless. In twisting tendrils, it encompassed her limbs and lifted her in the air.

At first, her body tingled all over, then the light tightened around her and an invisible fire seared her skin. She tried to struggle but, in the end, all she could do was scream.

She didn’t know how long she had been suspended in agony, the seconds ticking by in eternity before an orange light appeared. Spinning through the air like tendrils of silk, it snuffed out the white light and settled around her. The burning stopped immediately as the orange lights became her cocoon, wrapping her in soothing warmth.

“Pathfinder,” came SAM’s mechanical voice but it was like it was coming from a speaker that was turned up too high. With the monotonous voice, the orange light began to unravel. She reached for it, trying to pull it closer once more. She didn’t want the pain to start again. She didn’t want to die.

“The Pathfinder is down!” a panicked voice yelled from far away. The orange light was suddenly forgotten as she searched for the source in the new darkness.

“We need that shuttle now!” The voice grew louder until she was sure the speaker was standing right next to her.

“Scott,” she whispered in recognition.

“Sara,” The voice was speaking directly into her left ear, “Please, just hold on.”

Scott yelled more orders but his voice was fading as if he was being pulled away from her.

“No! Scott! Don’t leave me alone!” she screamed into the darkness.

“You are not alone, Sara,” said SAM, it's voice quieter than before, “I’m here now.”


	3. Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/27/17

Beep, beep, beep.

The rhythmic sound assaulted Sara’s ears. Her mouth twitched in time with the sounds, pulling her from the fog.

At first everything was blurry but as it cleared Sara could make out the fine details of a dark room. Strips of aqua lights traced the dark grey walls. Shadows danced across every surface, cast in a contrast of blue light.

Sara clenched and unclenched her hands, testing her ability to move. There was no fatigue in her limbs, no need to slowly loosen her muscles like she would have if she had woken from sleep. Had she been asleep? Had it only been a nightmare?

“I was able to repair much of the damage to your nervous system but I suggest you move slowly so you do not re-injure yourself.” SAM spoke calmly but his voice was muted, as if her ears were filled with cotton.

“What damage?” she asked as she pushed herself into a sitting position. The blue lights shifted erratically.

“What is the last thing you remember?” asked SAM. It was strange but his voice seemed deeper with more emotional inflection.

She furrowed her brow, “ I remember entering the alien structure, and then there were these lights- ”

She shook her head violently in order to rid herself of the memory of her torture. 

“What happened?” she asked.

“The technology housed in the alien structure proved unpredictable. When your father deactivated the structure's protocols, it triggered a failsafe.”

She blinked slowly as SAM’s words sunk in. A chill crept across her shoulders and she shivered.

Doors hissed open and Sara’s head snapped up.

“Hey, you’re still with us,” said Liam, his smile easy but not as warm as it had been before. He pulled up his omnitool, “Guys, get to SAM Node. Sara’s awake.”

“Why am I in SAM Node?” Sara asked, still trying to process SAM’s revelation and what it all meant.

Liam looked down, shifting his weight from foot to foot. When he finally looked at her again, his small smile was tainted by the sadness in his eyes.

“You'd better ask Lexi,” he said, “everything happened pretty quick and I didn't understand it all.”

The door slid open again as Scott ran into the room with Lexi and Cora on his heels. He skidded to a stop in front of her, looking her over with critical eyes before meeting her gaze and letting out a long breath. Lexi brushed him out of the way, raising her omnitool and blinding Sara with the light of her scanner.

“Look here,” said the doctor as she held up a finger and moved it across Sara’s vision slowly.

Sara did as the doctor bid while repeating her earlier question, “Why am I in SAM Node?”

“SAM saved your life,” said Lexi,“that alien technology would have burned through your brain if he hadn’t stopped it. The issue was, once Pathfinder authority was passed to you, you began to seize. We had to stabilize your connection with SAM to stop the convulsions.”

Sara blinked, hesitation coloring every syllable as she asked, “Pathfinder authority?”

She looked around the room but no one would meet her gaze. Then her eyes fell on Scott. 

“Where’s dad?” she asked, her voice cracking.

Scott just shook his head.

Sara blinked, her chest tight.

“No, there’s no way,” she breathed.

Scott turned away from her, bracing his hands on one of the consoles as he stared down at his feet.

“Scott?” Sara’s voice was foreign to her own ears. It was a strangled sound, thin with false hope.

When Scott spoke, it wasn’t to her.

“He always had a plan. That’s why I can’t understand what he was thinking. He didn’t hesitate just said ‘Do it, SAM’ and died.”

“He saved Sara’s life,” said SAM. 

Scott punched the console, “Damnit, I know that but he was supposed to be here!” He met Sara’s gaze, “He was supposed to find us a home.”

“Well, that’s Sara’s job now,” said Cora softly. Scott glared at her but Cora stared him down, “Sara is the Pathfinder and right now we need a Pathfinder more than ever.”

Sara’s hands begin to shake but she rolled her fingers into a fist to keep steady.

“Sara needs time to heal,” said Lexi protectively, her eyes darting away from Sara’s clenched hands.

Purposely stretching her fingers, Sara took a deep breath.

“No,” she said, pushing herself from the gurney, “I’m fine.”

Lexi studied her, “Are you sure? You’ve been through a lot.”

Sara raised her chin, “I’m fine.”

“You’re far from fine,” said Scott, moving to stand in her path.

“Move,” she commanded.

Liam stepped forward, putting his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “Come on, mate, if she says she’s fine you should trust her.” He looked toward Sara with a reassuring smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “After all, she isn’t alone.”

Scott released a heavy sigh and stepped aside, his shoulders weighed down by worry.

Stiffening her spine, Sara walked to the door and the others followed.  
Scott was left alone under SAM’s neon glow. He looked up at the transforming blue mass with a far-away stare.

“Damn you, Dad” he whispered.

Then he closed his eyes and turned on his heel. The door closed behind him with a finality that seemed to resound past the walls of SAM Node to reverberate through the Heleus Cluster. 

There was no turning back.


	4. Headwind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/27/17

When Sara’s boots landed on Eos, all the hope drained from her. Site One was dilapidated at best, the prefabs standing like the skeletons of a lost dream. Brush had overtaken most of the walkways, the scraggily brown plants pushing through the grating to reach for sunlight. Even the radiation shield crackled as if it would blink out at any moment.

It was like looking at Habitat Seven again. This wasn’t home.

Turning toward Scott, she brought up her omnitool.

“Okay, we’re here. Now what?” she asked of anyone willing to answer.

After a few minutes, she dropped her omnitool and looked from Scott to Liam then back again.

Scott raised an incredulous eyebrow, “You’re the Pathfinder. Find a path.”

She snorted, “I’m not a bloodhound. I can’t just follow my nose.”

“If I may, Pathfinder,” said SAM, “Upon examination of the planet, I took note of areas nearby that are unaffected by the radiation. May I suggest you investigate those areas for possible settlement points?”

Sara smiled, “Thanks SAM.”

Sara tapped on her omnitool and an engine roared. The six-wheeled Nomad drove itself out of the Tempest, skidding to a stop a mere few feet from her. 

“That’s never gonna get old,” she said with a laugh. 

Liam chuckled and Scott rolled his eyes.

Sara narrowed her eyes on her brother mockingly and made a beeline for the driver’s side. "Alright, let's go find a path."

 

It was a short drive to the first navpoint but long before they arrived, Sara’s stomach dropped. Monoliths, just like the ones on Habitat Seven, rose from the horizon. Her fears were driven home as Scott pulled up his omnitool.

“SAM, can you overlay a map of the radiation-free zones with a map of the monolith locations?” he said from the passenger seat.

“Yes, Scott.”

As the completed map appeared before his eyes, Scott cursed.

“Those Monoliths are at the center of each of the radiation-free zones.”

“The monoliths here do not appear to be affecting the climate in any way. In fact, they appear not to be functioning at all,” said SAM.

“Okay,” Sara took a deep breath and pressed harder on the gas, “let’s check it out.”

Scott braced himself against the dashboard as he was thrown forward by the sudden speed but that didn’t stop him from glaring at his sister.

“I don’t like it.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were scared,” she shot back, forcing herself to smile.

“I’m being serious, Sara, last time we messed with this alien tech you almost died.”

“Actually, I did die. For twenty-two seconds,” the laugh in her voice was belied by the way her hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“It’s not funny.”

“Sure it is but don’t worry, I’ll let you know if I get a craving for brains.”  
Liam laughed.

“Don’t encourage her,” warned Scott.

“Come on, Scott, lighten up. I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” he replied, glancing at her hands.

The Monolith's sleek black structure was strange but familiar at the same time. It stood like a lone skyscraper, the remains of a civilization long lost.

Sara jumped out of the Nomad, her eyes alert as she scanned the area. In the middle of the structure she found a console similar to the one her father had used on Habitat Seven. She stepped toward it, moving cautiously.

“Pathfinder, your heart rate has spiked. Are you distressed?” SAM’s voice was muted, as if she wasn’t hearing it through her ears but from inside her head.

She stopped, keeping her voice at a whisper, “SAM? Worst case. If I get caught in another trap what will happen?”

“Some discomfort as I disable it. I cannot speak for Scott or Mr. Kosta.”

Somehow that didn’t inspire much confidence.

Turning to Scott and Liam she said, “You two stay here. SAM can keep me safe but I’d rather not repeat history.”

Scott frowned but Sara wasn’t going to wait for his reply. She continued toward the console. Reaching out, her fingers brushed the edges of the interface. She flinched but with a shake of her head she steeled herself and touched the console again. It shifted and she pulled back, her hand fisting at her side.

“Pathfinder, I have gained access to the database contained within the structure. It appears the function of these structures was atmospheric stabilization.”

“Explains why the one on Habitat Seven was causing those lightening storms,” she said, “So, if we turn the monoliths back on we could clear the radiation? Right?”

“Yes.”

Taking a deep breath she tried to stem her increasing heart rate, “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“Yes, Pathfinder. You may experience some discomfort as I interface with the system.”

Sara stilled as she waited for something to happen. She was almost relieved when a sharp pain shot through her head and quickly dissipated.

“Is that what it was like for Dad?” she asked past the grit of her teeth.

“Your father directly interfaced with the system. It proved…hazardous.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

Instead of answering the A.I. said, “There appears to be no response. I will attempt to interface again.”

She hesitated but ultimately reached out to touch the console, aware that her hand was shaking.

“Wait!”

Sara faced the direction of the unfamiliar voice only to have a blue and purple blur slam into her. She went to the ground, the breath rushing from her lungs. Her assailant was an Asari with a wide face. There was a smear of black makeup across her eyes and the bridge of her nose that looked like war paint but filled the role of a mask, drawing attention away from her expressive eyes. She sat upon Sara’s chest, smiling down at her goofily.  
“You gotta let the glyphs cycle,” she said, her voice rushed and bouncing with excitement, “Otherwise it triggers a failsafe.”

As if proving her words, the familiar sound of machinery coming to life hummed through the air.

“See?”

“Get off of her,” came Scott’s voice as he pointed a gun at the Asari’s head.

The Asari raised her hands, looking at Scott with a smile, “Hey, I don’t mean any harm. Just let it ride.” Then she looked down at Sara, “How did you in communicate with that console? I’ve been trying for months but I couldn’t decipher the glyphs.”

Sara passed Scott a reassuring smile and he holstered his weapon.

“I might tell you. If you weren’t currently cutting off my oxygen supply,” said Sara, her attention returning to the Asari on her chest. Frowning, the Asari rolled off of Sara, easily coming to her feet and offering a hand up.

“Sorry, you’re probably wondering who I am. I know who you are. I saw the ship swoop in. You’re a Pathfinder. I was beginning to think the Nexus Leadership made you guys up to keep us from giving up hope but here you are.”

Sara raised an eyebrow, “Wanna tackle me again just to be sure?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. That must be new. Having a stranger just knock you over. I swear, I don’t make a habit of assaulting people.” The Asari stuck out her hand, “I’m Peebee. I’ve been trying to decipher these glyphs. Then you arrive and poof- solved.”

Sara took Peebee’s outstretched hand, “Nice to meet you.”

Peebee nodded before bouncing away to stand in front of the console. She lovingly touched its edges, as if it were precious.

“These monoliths are connected,” she turned toward Sara with a sly grin, “Just activating one won’t tell us what they do.”

“SAM says they are atmospheric processors,” said Sara.

Peebee’s smile somehow got bigger, “That makes sense!” She danced toward Sara with her hands on her hips, “I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends, Ryder.”

“Really?” asked Sara, “Or do you just want me to activate the monoliths so that you can study them?”

Peebee smirked, “Alright, you got me, but why does that mean we can’t be friends?”

“Good point,” replied Sara begrudgingly.

“Great!” Peebee turned back toward the console, stroking it again, “I’m gonna stay here and try to figure this out. Let me know when you’ve activated the other monoliths.”

Sara smirked. Peebee was something else. Blunt and smart.

As Sara turned to leave, the sound of recycling air hit her ears. 

“Kett!” yelled Liam and everyone dove for cover.

Sara pulled her assault rifle from her back but it shook in her hands. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Her mantra sounded in her head. Inhale, aim, fire.

As she pulled the trigger she watched her shot scorch the wall of the monolith beside the head of a Kett. The Kett looked at her and fired. Her shield shattered and she fell backward. She scrambled back into cover, her back pressed against the chest high wall that was her safe haven.

“Pathfinder, you alright?” asked Liam over the coms.

She couldn’t answer as she began to shake uncontrollably. She shut her eyes, trying to control herself. She had to stop. She had to breathe.

“Sara?” asked Scott over the coms, his voice strained.

“The Pathfinder is unharmed,” said SAM calmly before his voice became muted again, “Sara, your adrenaline and cortisol levels are too high. I will counteract.”

Sara’s eyes widened as her heart rate slowed, her breathing normalized, and hands steadied.

As if to answer her unspoken question SAM said, “As previously discussed, I can control certain aspects of your physiology. That includes your adrenal gland.”

Sara took a deep breath and for the first time she felt like herself again. She inhaled, aimed, and fired. A Kett solider fell as his head exploded.

She ducked back behind cover.

“SAM?”

“Yes, Pathfinder?”

“Keep that up.”

“As you wish, Pathfinder.”

Sara rose from behind cover and scanned the area.

“Clear!” she yelled when nothing moved.

“Clear,” agreed Liam.

Scott strode over to her and looked her directly in the eyes. She met his gaze and watched as his eyes widened for a moment before narrowing suspiciously. "What happened?"

“Nothing, I’m fine,” she said. It was the first time she’d said the words honestly since she’d woken up in SAM node.

The confidence in her expression brought a puzzled frown to Scott’s face.

She chuckled, “You keep frowning like that and you’re going to look like an old man by the time you’re thirty.”

Ignoring the way his frown deepened she turned toward the Nomad, “Come on. That’s one monolith down, two more to go.”

 

“No, no, nononoo,” said Peebee, her voice rushing from her in devastation, “This can’t be it. All that fanfare for an empty room? It doesn’t make sense.”

Scanning the area, Sara’s brow furrowed. While she agreed with Peebee, the room appeared void of any consoles or other interfaces.

Peebee whirled on Sara, her voice pleading, “There has to be something. Come on, do your Pathfinder thing.”

Something mechanical whirled and the room shifted, a hole opening in the middle of the floor.

Peebee smiled appreciatively, “Wow, you’re good.”

Sara frowned as she moved closer to the hole, “Wish I could take credit but that wasn’t me.”

Peebee didn't seem to care though as she peered over the edge, “How far down do you think it goes?”

Scott bent down, picking up a rock and tossing it into the chasm. At first the rock dropped but as blue lights surrounded it, its descent slowed until the rock was gently floating downward.

Peebee bounced around the edges of the hole in giddy contemplation, “Hmmm, electrostatic? No, rate of descent was too slow. Has to be variable gravity. I’m such an idiot. I should have known that wasn’t the front door. THIS is.”

“I’ll let you know,” said Sara and before anyone could protest, Sara leapt into abyss. 

Scott’s curses followed her down as blue light flitted around her, gently lowering her down the shaft. Once safely on the ground she smiled upward to see Peebee had jumped right in after her.

“Come on down guys,” she said into her coms, her tone teasing, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Liam laughed, "Right behind you, Pathfinder."

A moment later, Liam landed with a silly grin on his face. Scott descended a moment later but he lacked Liam's excitement. In fact, his scowl could only be described as stern by comparison. 

Sara hated that look. It made him look like their father.

“What the hell was that?” he asked.

Sara shrugged, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

When his gaze narrowed she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, “Chill out, Scott. Nothing bad happened.”

“Lucky for you,” he muttered but before he could say more on the subject, Peebee rushed across the room in a blur. She stopped before a console, bouncing around it before spinning to address Sara.

“Come on, Pathfinder! Let’s see what this does!”

Sara joined the excited Asari, reaching out to touch the console. It shifted and a door across the room opened. No one could stop Peebee from sprinting toward it, “Yes! Let’s go!”

Liam and Sara chuckled, following Peebee further into the complex but Scott lagged behind. Sara glanced back to see what kept him. He was looking at his feet, deep in thought.

“Come on, Scott,” she called with a questioning connotation.

He looked up, “I’m right behind you.”

“As per tradition,” she said but instead of meeting the joke with his usual jesting glare, he turned his head away as if she'd slapped him.

“Ryder! You’ve got to see this!” said Peebee through the coms, reluctantly pulling Sara away from Scott and further into the complex.

She glanced back at him but Scott had retreated into his thoughts, leaving her alone.

The realization would have stopped her in her tracks if SAM hadn't pulled her attention forward once more, "Pathfinder, I believe I have found the central control console."

"Thanks, SAM."

"You are welcome, Pathfinder."

"SAM, just call me Sara. Okay?"

"As you wish...Sara."


	5. Fractured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 9/27/17

“Pathfinder, Avitus Rix is waiting for you on the vidcom,” said SAM on the private channel.

“On my way,” said Sara as she started up the ramp toward the conference area. In the hallway, she passed Scott as he was leaving the Biolab. Their gazes met for a moment before they averted their eyes and continued on their way.

A hologram of Avitus was waiting for her when she arrived. He looked agitated, his stance shifting at regular intervals.

“Ryder,” he greeted but his sub-vocals wavered. If she weren’t so familiar with Turian speech, she probably wouldn’t have noticed.

“Everything okay?”

He shifted his feet again as he answered, “Hear me out, okay? This is going to sound crazy but I think I’ve received a message from Macen.”

“You ‘think’?”

“There are number flashing in my head. Coordinates.”

Sara eyed him carefully but as he shifted his stance for what seemed like the hundredth time she found herself saying the craziest thing she could possibly say, “Okay, let’s check it out. Send Kallo the coordinates and we’ll meet you there.”

Avitus seemed to relax, if only a little, “Thanks Ryder.”

“Thank me when we find the Natanus.”

 

Sara wasn’t sure if she should curse or celebrate.

On one hand Avitus wasn’t insane, the coordinates had led them right to the Turian Ark. On the other, the scourge had done a serious amount of damage. Deep hull breaches made the ship look more like swiss cheese than an Ark.

“Holy hell,” whispered Scott as he looked at the scene from behind her.

“Yeah, I seriously doubt anyone survived that,” said Peebee bluntly.

Sara took a deep breath, “Let’s not give up on it just yet. Avitus seemed sure that the Turian Pathfinder was the one who had sent him the coordinates. Kallo, do you think you can get us in?”

Kallo nodded, “Yeah, there is a docking bay still intact on the far side.”

“Then take us in,” said Sara as she headed for the airlock.

Avitus was already waiting for them as Sara, Scott and Vetra boarded. He appeared unaware of their arrival, focused on the readings on his omnitool. That was, until he spoke. “Limited power, life support is busted. I’m surprised there is even any gravity at all.”

“This can’t be easy to see,” said Sara.

Avitus looked at her over his shoulder, “Not really a feelings type of guy, Ryder.”

“Even so-“ began Sara but Avitus cut her off.

“Let’s- let’s just find Macen.”

She nodded, letting him take point as they moved through the Ark. 

To say it was a mess was an understatement. Debris floated in the hall and scorch marks marked the walls where power systems had overloaded.

“I guess we’re lucky this part of the Ark is still intact,” said Sara, trying inject the tension with a bit of positivity.

“Looks can be deceiving Sara,” said SAM, “The hull is barely holding together. I would suggest we move with haste.”

“Thanks SAM. I can always count on you to be a ray of sunshine,” muttered Sara sarcastically.

“Ryder, over here,” called Avitus, pulling Sara’s attention to a console on the far side of the room. He was tapping the interface, his fingers moving with desperation. “There’s some logs on here but I can’t access them. The damn data is corrupted,” said Avitus, slapping his palm against the side of the console with a growl.

“Allow me,” said SAM, the interface flashing as SAM took control of it. A moment later voices sounded from the device.

“Sam- uh, how are we doing?” said a Turian voice.

Static followed and Avitus’ voice filled with panic, “That’s Macen! Get it back SAM!”

“I am attempting to extract what I can,” said SAM, “One moment please.”

Avitus shifted his stance again and Sara sighed. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”

The Turian wasn’t comforted by her words, his mandibles pulling tightly to his face as he stared at the console. Eventually he looked at Sara, sighing at her apologetic expression. “Macen is…” Avitus paused, composing himself, “he’s more than just the pathfinder to me.”

Sara put a comforting hand on the Turian’s shoulder but let it fall away as SAM started playing the audio recording once more.

“SAM, how far is it to Avi’s pod?” asked Macen from the console.

“300 meters.”

“An easy stroll then,” Macen laughed, obviously hiding his pain behind the humor. Then something exploded. “Maybe not so easy then.”

When the static returned Avitus’ mandibles twitched, “Play the rest of it!”

“That is all I could recover,” replied SAM.

“We’ll keep looking,” said Sara softly.

Avitus straightened and took a shaky breath, “He- he didn’t sound good.”

“Come on,” she offered, “let’s find SAM node and see if we can get some answers.”

Avitus nodded stiffly and followed her with Scott and Vetra bringing up the rear.

A short time later they found the door to SAM node but it wouldn’t open.

“It doesn’t have any power,” noted Scott.

Sara brought up her scanner and traced the power lines to a console opposite the door. With a quick bypass she was able to divert power to the door. 

As soon as the holographic button blinked to life, Avitus touched it. Sara and her team had to jog to keep up as Avitus rushed through the threshold.

“SAM! Where’s Macen?”

“Avi, avi, avi,” the Turian SAM repeated, the name disconnected from meaning.

“My counterpart seems to have been traumatized. I will attempt to partition the damage.”

Sara could tell the exact moment her SAM tried to interact with the Turian SAM because a sharp pain shot through her head. She hissed, bracing her hands against her thighs for support.

“Sara?” Scott’s voice was laced with worry as he moved to kneel in front of her. 

“Apologies Sara,” said SAM and the pain turned into a dull ache, “my counterpart is severely damaged and attacked when I tried to interface.”

“It’s okay,” said Sara, meeting Scott’s probing gaze. She waved off his concern before straightening to focus on Avitus.

His eyes bounced around the room, moving from Sara to Scott to the SAM and back again. Taking a deep breath, she addressed SAM while offering Avitus a reassuring smile. “Try again, SAM.”

Avitus nodded to her in silent appreciation.

Scott narrowed his eyes, “That sounds like a VERY bad idea.”

Sara stared her brother down, her voice taking on a commanding tone, “We need to know what happened.”

“Fine,” said Scott, his voice dangerously soft as he backed away from her.

“Try again SAM,” said Sara once more.

The sharp pain erupted again, hitting her at the base of her skull like a hammer. She clenched her teeth, trying to limit her reaction despite the agony. Her vision was beginning to swim when the pain finally subsided and the Turian SAM spoke.

“Avitus Rix,” it greeted.

“SAM,” breathed Avitus, a mix of fear and relief in his voice, “Where’s Macen?”

In lieu of a direct answer, the AI played an audio log.

“…don’t let that temper get the better of you Avi. Be the person I always knew you could be.” There was a bit of static before Macen said, “Commence transfer.”

Avitus went completely still, staring at the shifting blue lights and whispering to himself, “No, no, no, no.”

When he finally turned, his mandibles were fluttering erratically and his fists were clenched, “The damn thing is still broken. It doesn’t know what it’s talking about.”

Sara took a steadying breath, meeting the Turian’s gaze through his helmet.

“I’m sorry, Avitus,” said Sara in a near whisper.

“Macen died during the transfer, that is how this SAM was traumatized,” added SAM calmly but there was an apologetic inflection to his voice.

Avitus shook his head, “But Macen sent me the coordinates! He has to be here!”

“Actually,” said the Turian SAM, “I sent the coordinates.”

“Why? Why would you bring me here?” asked Avitus, his voice breaking on the last word.

“To complete the transfer,” said the Turian SAM, “It was Macen’s last wish that Pathfinder authority be passed to you.”

“No!” Avitus was almost yelling in his fight to keep the devastation from his voice, “I don’t want to be Pathfinder. I’m not a leader. Macen- Macen was supposed to-”

Sara stepped forward, touching the Turian’s arm in order to end his disjointed argument, “Avitus, you kept those Turians on Havarl safe. You found the Ark. You’ve been a Pathfinder the whole time, just without the title.”

Avitus looked at her, his mandibles falling. 

“ I just…don’t want to disappoint him,” he said, his words were a strained whisper.

“You’ll only do that if you walk away,” she replied quietly.

Avitus took a deep breath and looked at the Turian SAM, holding his head high. “You’re right. It’s what Macen wanted. The least I can do is try.”

“Wait,” said SAM but his warning was too late.

Avitus began to scream, his subvocals echoing shrilly. He gripped his head with both hands, buckling to his knees with the sheer torment.

Suddenly, pain seared through Sara’s head, causing her own scream to join Avitus’ in a symphony of agony. 

The last thing Sara saw before she blacked out was the shifting blue light turn red.

 

Sara awoke to a view of the ceiling. It took her a moment to realize she was in the Medbay aboard the Tempest. 

She blinked a few times, testing the feeling in her limbs before trying to sit up.

“Take it easy,” said Lexi as she tossed aside a datapad to help Sara up, a reaction born of Lexi’s doctor instinct rather than necessity. Sara hadn’t felt anything close to fatigue since SAM had taken up residence in her head.

“What happened?” Sara asked as she waved away the doctor’s help.

Lexi looked away for a moment before meeting Sara’s gaze, “I’m not sure I fully understand. It was similar to when SAM was transferred to you on Habitat Seven. For a moment I thought we wouldn't be able to stop the seizures but SAM was able to stabilize you once we got you to the Tempest.”

Lexi moved to pick up her discarded datapad, examining it thoughtfully. "In fact, you seem to have fully recovered in a matter of hours." 

Sara purposely ignored the note of question at the end of Lexi’s statement.

“What about Avatius?”

Lexi sighed as she gestured across the room. Avitus was lying completely still and for a moment Sara thought the worst.

“I’ve done what I can but we won’t know the full extent of the damage until we can get him to Nexus. For now he appears to be in a stable vegetative state.”

It was then that SAM finally spoke up, “When the Turian SAM attempted to transfer to Avitus, I was no longer able to partition its damaged processes. The result was…violent. I was forced to eradicate its core code in order to keep my counterpart from killing Avitus.”

“You- you destroyed it?” asked Sara though she wasn’t sure she really wanted an answer.

“If I had not, Avitus Rix would be dead,” replied SAM, his voice disturbingly unapologetic. It sent a shiver down Sara’s spine.

“And you are okay with that?” Lexi asked the A.I., her shock apparent.

“As the Pathfinder has demonstrated on multiple occasions, dangerous entities must sometimes be eradicated in order to protect those who are incapable of defending themselves.”

Sara gaped as the familiar argument echoed in her ears.

It was combat logic, the justification for killing that allowed anyone who’d seen war to drive the remorse away.

The Pathfinder was the window through which SAM learned about the world and she had taught him how to be a soldier.

“Sara? Are you okay?” asked Lexi.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

It was a lie.


	6. Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/28/17

“I can handle it on my own,” she said for what seemed like the hundredth time. Every iteration made it harder for her to keep the exasperation from her voice.

Scott crossed his arms. “You’ve only just recovered from what happened on the Turian Ark and you want to walk into a bar on Kedara by yourself to meet a Resistance contact you know nothing about?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Sara turned away from him and headed for the airlock, “I’m done talking about this.”

“Like hell you are!” said Scott as he marched after her, “SAM doesn’t make you fucking invincible, Sara!”

At his veiled accusation, Sara spun on him, unleashing her rage.

“You’re not Dad! You don’t get to play protector when it’s fucking convenient and then shut down when things get too hard! Either man up and say what you mean or shut the hell up!”

Her words hit home, leaving Scott gaping at her. When his initial shock wore off, the plains of his face turned hard, every curve becoming a sharp edge.

“No, I’m not Dad,” he said with enough ice in his voice to make Voeld feel warm, “I’m still here.”

She punched him hard enough to send him reeling into the wall. He recovered, an aura of molten purple and blue appearing around him as he glared her.

“What is going on here?”

The twins froze as Lexi’s equally admonishing and astounded voice resonated through the hallway. Automatically, their eyes met and they silently bargained.

“Nothing,” said Sara but the residual heat in her voice betrayed them.

“Medbay. Now.” Lexi commanded, her expression telling the twins just how dangerous arguing with her would be.

Ducking their heads, Scott and Sara followed the order.

As the door slid closed, Lexi regarded them with crossed arms, “Look at you both, you’re acting like children. ”

Scott and Sara glanced at each other angrily.

With a sigh, Lexi relaxed, her voice becoming soft. “When I first met you, I found it fascinating how you seemed to communicate without words. Now, you two can’t stop fighting. It has to stop.”

They both fidgeted awkwardly as the truth of Lexi’s words settled between them like a wall.

“Why don’t we start with you, Scott,” offered Lexi. “Tell Sara about the concerns you had after Eos.”

Sara observed him as he struggled to look at her. Finally, he sighed and met her gaze.

“I saw the way you panicked during that Kett attack,” he admitted.

Sara looked down.

“It is nothing to be ashamed of,” said Lexi kindly, “You experienced real trauma on Habitat Seven. Being afraid doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”

Scott nodded in agreement, “But then you just... got over it. One minute you were freaking out and the next you’re leaping into the line of fire. It’s not normal. It’s not YOU.”

He looked down, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. The motion mirrored the way Avitus had acted on the Natanus. It was worry, undeniable and all-consuming, and it made Sara’s eyes sting.

“I mean, you jumped into that vault without a second thought. The risks you’ve been taking, they border on suicidal.”

Sara flinched when SAM's voice came through the intercom unexpectedly.

“Scott, may I ask you a question?”

Scott frowned, his shoulders stiffening, “This isn't really a good time, SAM.”

"But I believe the answer may be relevant to the discussion."

Scott rolled his eyes in resignation, "Fine, what is it?"

“Are you suggesting that fear is a necessary emotion?”

Scott looked to Lexi who answered in his stead, “Of course it is. Fear gives organics the ability to assess the dangers of a situation better and forces us to look for alternative approaches. Why do you ask?"

Sara answered before SAM got the chance, “SAM has been suppressing my fear response since Eos.”

Scott and Lexi gaped at her but Scott was the only one to speak, “What?”

“When Sara’s cortisol levels spiked during the firefight on Eos, I compensated by suppressing her adrenal response. She then asked that I continue to do so.”

Lexi cursed, “Sara, what the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t,” she whispered, her head bowed in shame.

"That’s obvious," said Scott, his hands fisting at his sides. Just as quickly as his anger manifested, it disappeared. “You should’ve come to me. That’s what we’ve always done. When Mom got sick, when Dad was unbearable- we always had each other. When did that change?”

Tears escaped Sara’s eyes to fall to the floor, “The day I became the Pathfinder.”

Scott gasped, the sound pulling Sara to pieces. Unable to stand the way her chest was caving in, Sara ran from the room, seeking comfort in the privacy of her cabin.

Scott moved to follow her but Lexi pulled him to a stop. “Let her go.”

“But-“ Scott began, his argument dying as he saw Lexi’s knowing gaze.

“SAM has released control of her adrenal system,” Lexi addressed the ceiling with an authoritative tone, “Right SAM?”

“Yes, Dr. T’Perrro.”

Lexi nodded before speaking to Scott once more, “Her system is attempting to correct itself, resulting in an overly emotional state.”

“The doctor is correct, her dopamine levels have already dropped to below average levels,” said SAM.

Scott glared at the ceiling, “SAM, don’t speak to me unless absolutely necessary. Got it?”

“Yes, Scott.”

Satisfied, Scott let his shoulders sink.

“She’ll be okay, right?” he asked quietly.

Lexi stepped away from him, hiding her concern behind a datapad, “I’ll keep an eye on her. If anything changes I’ll let you know.”

Her reassurances did nothing to ease the weight of his impotence.

“If you’d like, I could send regular updates to the Biolab,” Lexi offered.

Scott blinked a few times before narrowing his eyes on the doctor, "How long have you known?"

“Since you both stepped onboard,” she said, her bored expression treating the matter as if it were of little importance. “But if you’re expecting a lecture on fraternization, I’m afraid I must disappoint you.”  
Lexi looked up, pinning Scott with sad eyes, “I’m glad you two can lean on each other. I know Cora took your father’s death especially hard.”

Scott let out a long breath, looking longingly at the door, “Yeah, well, you'd think I'd be better at fixing my dad's messes by now."

Lexi frowned, “You can’t lay all the blame on your father. He was a complicated man but it was obvious he cared very deeply about all of you.”

“Sometimes I wonder," said Scott under his breath.

Lexi watched him, her keen eyes filled with questions Scott refused to answer. Instead, he turned away, moving toward the door.

The last thing Scott heard before the door slid closed behind him was Lexi’s disappointed sigh.


	7. Satisfaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/29/17

Vetra and Drack glanced at each other.

“You sure about this kid?” asked Drack.

Sara held back a sigh. She’d be lying if she said that coming down from the dopamine-high hadn’t been hell but she was going stir crazy.

“Yes. Now, open the door.”

“I'm just saying it might be better if I went instead," said Vetra, a pleading note to her subvocals, "I have a lot of contacts in the port.”

This time Sara couldn’t stop the annoyance from entering her voice, “The contact is expecting the Pathfinder.”

Drack and Vetra exchanged another look and Sara turned a glare on Vetra, “Are you going to open the door or not?”

Vetra’s mandibles twitched before she brought up her omnitool and opened the Tempest’s cargo bay door. “Lexi is going to have a fit when she finds out.”

"Don’t worry about Lexi. She had to know I’d find a way off the ship. Doctor’s orders be damned," said Sara as she descended the ramp.

The first thing that hit Sara was the smell, a mix of sulfur and sewage. She openly gagged but Drack took a deep breath in protest of her disgust.

“Ah, smells like crime. I like it.”

“You would,” said Vetra before she turned to Sara, “Last chance to change your mind. You sure you don’t want us to come with you?”

Sara rolled her eyes, “Go meet with your supplier. I can handle this.”

Vetra sighed but walked toward the port with Drack in tow. Sara watched them for a moment before making her way to the bar known as Kralla’s Song.

It was apparent why the contact had wanted to meet there. It was crowded, which usually meant security, but a closer examination of the customers revealed them to be the shadiest sorts. The contact might as well have put up a neon sign welcoming her to Kadara- the most dangerous planet in the cluster.

Even the bartender was dangerous, driving the tip of her knife into the bar top when a patron refused to pay.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.”

Sara pushed away from the bar, ready to tell the owner of the flirtatious voice to take a hike, but the man behind her wasn’t just another patron high on liquid courage. He was deceptive and intelligent; his easy smile meant to distract from the way he took in every detail of his surroundings.

He sidled up to the bar with a confidence few could boast, casually beckoning to the bartender. The Asari violently slammed two glasses of whiskey on the counter but the man was immune to her abrasive attitude, winking at her flirtatiously before picking up the glasses and passing one to Sara. She took it but didn’t drink it. Instead, she watched as he clinked his glass against hers and said, “Cheers,” before downing the drink in one gulp.

Setting the empty glass on the counter, he turned a knowing smile on her, “I’m Shena but you can call me Reyes. I hate codenames.”

“I was expecting an Angaran,” she said, injecting confidence into the words where there was none.

Reyes’ smile widened, “The Resistance pays me for information…among other things.”

Sara used the pretense of setting her still full glass back on the counter to refocus on the task at hand. Reyes was intriguing but she was here on business.

“The Resistance said you would know how to find Vehn Terev,” she said.

His expression turned serious as he motioned for her to join him on the other side of the bar. He nonchalantly rested his forearms on the low wall that divided Kralla’s Song from the steep Kadaran cliffs. She joined him, looking out over the canyon that separated the port from the vast mountains beyond.

“Finding Vehn is easy,” said Reyes quietly, “Getting to him is the difficult part.”

“Where is he?”

Reyes watched her out of the corner of his eye, “He was arrested by Sloane Kelly, leader of the Outcasts. Word got around about what he did to the Moshae and now the people are calling for his head. And Sloane-“ he scoffed, “she’s a woman of the people.”

She looked at him with an unconscious smirk, “Not a fan?”

He openly sneered, “Sloane could care less about the people. She only cares about power and the credits that go with it.”

“Well, if that’s what she cares about then maybe we could make a deal.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it. Kadara was an Angaran port before the exiles arrived. Sloane has a vested interest in making Vehn’s execution as public as possible.” He pushed away from the railing, “Still, it couldn’t hurt to try. Why don’t you work Sloane and I’ll talk to the resistance? Maybe I can come up with a plan B.”

She nodded, “Okay. How should I contact you if things go south?”

Instead of answering, he winked and walked toward the door.

“That wasn’t an answer,” she said to his back. Though she was sure he'd heard her he didn't turn.

Sara made to go after him but the bartender stopped her, “You have to pay!”

Sara sighed, bringing up her omnitool to transfer the credits.

“Keep the change,” she said in exasperation before rushing out the door.

When she emerged, Reyes was nowhere to be found.

With a sigh she pulled up her omnitool again, switching her coms back on.

“Vetra, Drack, are you at the docks?”

“Yep. Our totally legitimate business deal is done,” replied Vetra, a smile in her subvocals.

“Benefit of bringing a Krogan,” agreed Drack.

“Good because I might need back up after all.”

“What’s up?” asked Vetra, her voice taking on a note of concern.

“I’ve gotta talk to Sloane Kelly.”

Drack laughed, “We’re on our way.”

Sara allowed herself a smile. Finally, she was starting to feel like the Pathfinder again.

“Pathfinder?” asked SAM via their private channel.

“Yeah?”

“Your dopamine levels have risen. May I ask why?”

“Well, I guess I’m just happy to be back to work. Despite what everyone seems to think, I actually enjoy being the Pathfinder. Why?”

“After the discussion in the medbay, I began making an effort to fill the gaps in my understanding of human psychology. Such as during your discussion in Kralla’s Song, your body released a rather high amount of Oxytocin. According to my database, oxytocin is associated with arousal and-“

“Ummm, could we not discuss this right now?” she asked anxiously, suddenly aware of everyone passing her on the street. “Why don’t you run a search on Sloane Kelly? Couldn’t hurt to know a little about her.”

“Yes, Pathfinder. Before joining the Initiative, Sloane Kelly was a decorated soldier in the Alliance, but was discharged before the end of her contract due to multiple physical altercations with other officers.”

“Great. A hot head,” she said sarcastically as she walked toward the Outcast headquarters, “This is going to be fun.”

 

Drack and Vetra met Sara at the door. An angry-looking Krogan eyed them suspiciously but all it took was a look from Drack to make the guard stand down.

“Tell Sloane that the Pathfinder is here to see her,” the guard growled into his coms, trying to save his pride. A moment later, they were walking into what could only be described as a throne room.

Guards stood at every doorway while the center of the room sported a large metal and leather chair. The woman who occupied it was hard, like a rock worn to jagged edges by the sea. She sat languidly, dismissing a holographic interface as soon as Sara entered the room.

“Pathfinder,” she drawled, her tone snide, “what brings you to our humble port?”

Sara crossed her arms, matching Sloane’s casual albeit cold body language. “Vhen Terev, name ring a bell?”

Sloane rolled her eyes, “What do you want with him?”

“I need him in order to find a Kett flagship.”

Sloane almost looked impressed, “Hitting them where it hurts? I approve.”

“So you’ll hand him over?”

Sloane smirked, “I didn’t say that.”

“Then what are you saying?” replied Sara gruffly.

Sloane leaned back, regarding Sara with curiosity. “I’ve heard a lot about you Pathfinder. You’ve been working some serious overtime, how many colonies have you established?" The question proved rhetorical as Sloane pinned Sara with a narrowed gaze, "But Kadara is a free port. We don't fall under Nexus jurisdiction.

“So, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you talk to Vehn and get whatever intel you need to find your flagship. After that, you’ll get back into your fancy ship and leave. Do you understand?”

Sara dug her fingers into her arms, “And what happens to Vehn after I leave?”

Sloane’s smile was wicked, “I put his head on a spike.”

“He should be judged by the resistance,” Sara replied sternly.

“Take it or leave it, Pathfinder,” Sloane sneered at Sara's title, treating it like a curse.

Sara stood her ground, “I’m not leaving without Vehn.”

Sloane waved her hand and the Turian that was hovering nearby moved forward.

“Yes, you are.”

The Turian pulled a pistol from his hip, pointing it in Sara’s face.

“Kaetus, escort the Pathfinder back to her ship,” commanded Sloane, waving at Sara dismissively.

Sara met Kaetus’ eyes a split second before she grabbed his wrist and twisted violently. The weapon fell from his grip and Sara caught it easily, turning it to aim directly at Sloane’s head.

In response Vetra and Drack pulled their weapons, aiming at Kaetus and Sloane respectively. The metallic sound of unfolding guns sounded around the room, creating a chorus of unbeatable odds.

Sloane relaxed back into her chair, giving Sara a smirk that conveyed a mix of respect and annoyance.

“Leave, Pathfinder, before you do something you’ll regret.”

Sara nodded, she knew when she was outnumbered. She backed from the room, pulling Drack and Vetra with her.

When the door slid closed in front of her, Sara let a string of curses escape her lips.

“I’m assuming that didn’t go well?” came Reyes’ now familiar voice from her left.

Instead of answering, she ejected the thermal clip from the pistol she was holding and handed it to him.

“That’s Kaetus’ gun,” she said when he raised a puzzled eyebrow at her.

Shadows invaded his face as he met her gaze, “Congratulations, you’ve just made an enemy of the most dangerous woman in Kadara.”

“Let her try something, I’ve killed Varren more menacing than her,” said Drack protectively.

“Don’t underestimate Sloane. She holds grudges like no one else,” Reyes warned.

“Yeah, and you just violently disarmed the only person she actually cares about,” agreed Vetra, shaking her head in irritation.

Reyes’ face somehow got darker, making Sara avert her eyes, “He started it.”

“Yeah, if he’d pulled a gun on me he’d be dead,” said Drack in her defense.

When she looked at Reyes again, the shadows were banished and he regarded her with a mix of respect and concern, “You are either the bravest or most foolish person in Heleus.”

“Definitely the bravest,” said Drack, “A fool would have taken Sloane's deal.”

“Which was?”

Sara sneered, “To leave Kadara and never come back. Only then would she allow me to speak to Vehn before she put his head on a spike.”

Reyes scoffed, “Well then I’m glad I was able to come up with an alternative.”

Tucking Kaetus’ pistol into his belt, he dug a small vial from the ammo carrier on his hip. His face turned serious as he held it out to her, “Be careful, this acid can burn through just about anything.”

She didn’t take it, instead regarding the vial suspiciously, “And you are warning me because-?”

“I’d really hate for you to get hurt,” he replied flirtatiously, eliciting a groan from Drack.

Sara suppressed a smile, “That’s not what I meant.”

He smirked knowingly before offering her the vial again. “I discovered a smuggling tunnel that will lead you to Sloane’s dungeon. Tell Vehn you’ll help him escape if he gives you the information you need. The Resistance will be waiting to take Vehn into custody when you emerge.”

“Sounds like a solid plan,” said Vetra.

Sara took the vial, “Okay, Reyes, lead the way.”

“Your wish is my command, Pathfinder.”

 

When Sara stepped back onto the Tempest, it was with a sense of accomplishment. Sloane had been just as much the aggressive criminal Reyes had made her out to be but with his help she had managed to deliver Vehn into Resistance hands. Evfra was pleased and they had the transmitter that would lead them directly to the Archon’s ship. It had been a good day.

“Wow, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen that.”

Sara looked up to see Gil watching her from the walkway above the cargo bay, an arrogant smile on his face.

“I was beginning to think you had forgotten how to smile. We’ll see how long it lasts when Lexi finds out you’ve been planetside.”

Vetra shook her head and tossed the transmitter up to Gil who caught it despite his surprise.

“What’s this?” he asked, looking at the broken transmitter as if she had just thrown him a live grenade.

“The way we find the Archon’s ship. Think you can get it working?” asked Vetra.

He turned it over in his hands, “Definitely but it's going to take some time.”

“Then you’d better get started,” said Sara, “The sooner we find Meridian the better.”

He saluted at her sarcastically, “Yes ma’am.”

Sara was watching Gil return to the engine room when her omnitool beeped. Without hesitation, she pulled up the new message.

Ryder, could you meet me at Tartarus? I could use your help with something.  
-Reyes  
She turned to Vetra and Drack, “You guys up for some more Kadaran adventure?”

“I’m old, not dead,” said Drack with a laugh.

Vetra looked less pleased with the prospect but still amenable, “What did you have in mind?”

“Reyes needs help with something.”

Sara’s words were met with groans as the two moved past her.

“What?” she asked, turning to watch them walk further into the ship.

“I’ve seen enough of that scoundrel to last a lifetime,” said Drack.

Vetra nodded, “Yeah, you could cut that sexual tension with a knife.”

Sara scowled, “What are you talking about?”

“Like you don't know,” Vetra replied over her shoulder before she and Drack disappeared into the central part of the ship.

Sara scoffed and turned to walk back down the ramp, all the while mumbling about misunderstandings.


	8. Faceted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/29/17

Tartarus was precisely what Sara imagined, a place where shadows were just part of the décor. Walking up to the bar she half expected for Reyes to emerge from the umbra with another corny pick-up line. She was almost disappointed when the bartender approached her instead.

“What’s your poison?” he asked with a smile.

She smiled back. This bartender's genial manner was an anomaly in Kedara. “Whiskey, neat.”

He chuckled, “I should’ve known.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the Pathfinder, right?” he asked even though he already knew the answer, “Vidal said to send you up to his private room.” He pointed his thumb toward a staircase at the back of the establishment, “Just head up the stairs and it’s the door on the left. I’ll have someone bring up a bottle.”

“Thanks,” she said, waving goodbye to the bartender as she headed for the stairs.

As the door at the top of the staircase slid open Sara knew she had found Reyes’ home, not where he slept but where he lived.

“Ryder,” he greeted, smiling at her in a way that promised delectable darkness, “I’m glad you came.”

She failed once more to stifle a smile, requiring her to dismiss it as soon as it appeared, “You said you needed help with something?”

In a snap his coy disposition disappeared, replaced with the business-like mask of a criminal.

“A business rival of mine, Zia Cordier, lifted some cargo I was moving for a client. Normally I’d handle this on my own but the cargo is- well, let’s just say that it’s dangerous, though that is putting it lightly.”

Sara’s expression mirrored his, becoming the Pathfinder with the flip of a switch.

“What was it?”

“It would be better if you didn’t know,” he said, his face darkening and his voice filling with danger.

“Just answer the question,” she said with a sigh.

His raised eyebrows offered her one last chance to change her mind before he said, “Omega-Enkaphalin,”

Sara gaped, “You’ve got to be kidding! You know what that stuff does to biotics?”

His expression was unrepentant, “Honor has a price and the client paid it. I didn’t need to know anything else.”

She put her hands on her hips, trying not to be disappointed at his flippant response, “Then you’d better be ready to refund every credit because I won’t let O.E. loose in Heleus.”

He smirked, his criminal mask falling away, “Your company will be more than enough compensation.”

She knew that he was attempting to placate her but it was easy to keep her disappointed frown in place. “Where do we start?”

His smirk died, returning to business as he acknowledged her attitude, “Zia drinks at Kralla’s Song when she’s in Kadara so Umi might have heard something.”

With a nod, Sara started for the door. “Fine, let's go."

She didn't look to see if he was following but she could feel his gaze digging into her back and raising the hairs on her neck.

Guilt bubbled in her stomach. She had no right to be upset. Reyes had never presented himself as anything more than a criminal. Her disappointment was irrational.

 

Reyes, the smuggler, was front and center as they entered the bar, casually leaning across the bartop to beam at Umi. The Asari glared in return as she asked, “What do you want, Vidal?”

“Information,” he said, his voice taking on the cadence of a well-known joke.

Umi crossed her arms, “That’ll cost you more than a round of drinks.”

“My last job fell through so I’m a little strapped for credits but my companion’s good for it,” replied Reyes, eyeing Sara in his peripheral.

Sara tossed him a glare but pulled up her omnitool, “Fine but you owe me.”

He chuckled, giving Sara an inauthentic smirk, “Ryder, you’re one person I’d happily owe something.”

Umi groaned as she dismissed her omnitool, “You want information or a room?”

Reyes turned his charismatic smile back on Umi, “Has Zia been here recently?”

“You mean your ex?” asked Umi scandalously.

“Ex?” asked Sara in mocking appall, “as in girlfriend?”

He passed Sara a bored expression, knowing full well what she was doing but playing along anyway.

“Girlfriend is such a strong word,” he said in feigned discomfort before turning back to Umi and clearing his throat, “Um, so, she was here?”

Umi grinned victoriously, “Yeah, she was meeting some Salaraian- a real shifty guy with red face markings and a scar on his right horn. Could’ve been the Charlatan for all I know.”

“Anything’s possible,” said Reyes, a note of laughter in his voice. “Did you hear what they were talking about?”

“They were setting up a meeting at Spirit’s Ledge. Something about moving some cargo.”

Reyes’ grin widened, “Thanks, Umi.”

“Whatever,” the bartender waved away his thanks, “you didn’t hear it from me.”

Reyes turned to Sara, his smirk out of place underneath his critical eyes.

“You go ahead to Spirit’s Ledge and I’ll meet you there.”

Sara raised an eyebrow at him, “Where are you going?”

“I need to speak to one of my contacts. I think the Salarian Zia spoke to was Uparf Zuzeno. If he’s in Kadara, it means things are worse than we thought.”

“Why?”

“Because he's the Outcast representative on H-047c.”

“Shit,” said Sara under her breath.

Reyes shrugged, "But I could be wrong.”

“Knowing my luck, you aren’t.”

He chuckled, a lightness to it that had been missing before, “Have a little faith, Ryder.”

She found herself smiling at him in spite of her earlier irritation, “I do. I have faith that if something can go wrong, it will.”

He scoffed humorously, “I’m sure you are rarely disappointed.”

“In my line of work? Never."

 

The trail to the meeting spot had been convoluted at best but following a series of dead drops had led Sara to an abandoned prefab in a small valley.

Sara had found a small nook on a nearby hill that had a perfect view of the building’s entrance and that is where she stayed until Reyes’ shuttle came into view.

“Anything interesting?” he asked as he scanned the valley.

“Nothing. Not even a guard.”

“Then we’re in the right place. Muscle costs money and all it does is draw attention.”

Sara nodded in understanding as she pulled her pistol from her thigh and replaced the thermal clip. “Well, then I bet the OE is still here. All the dead drops I found were untouched.”

“Good,” said Reyes before his eyes drifted down to the pistol in her hand, “but I’d prefer this not turn into a firefight unless absolutely necessary.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “I can negotiate without it leading to violence.”

“I’m sure Kaetus would agree,” replied Reyes, his eyebrow raised in her direction.

“Fine,” she growled and forcefully holstered her pistol.

The smile he flashed at her was placating and frustratingly effective, leaving her grumbling impotently as she followed him down the hill.

When the front doors slid open to reveal a warehouse, Sara had to force herself not to deploy her tech armor. Tingles ran across her neck as she surveyed the various crates stacked to the ceiling. There were too many places for someone to hide.

Reyes seemed oblivious to the dangers as he rushed toward a specific set of crates. He pulled one open but something told Sara he would find it barren.

“The OE is gone,” he confirmed, exasperation and anger coloring his voice.

Sara swept the room again, “Or it was never here.”

“Bravo,” echoed a feminine voice from the back of the complex, pulling Sara’s attention toward a woman with red hair and dark skin. She emerged from the shadows as if created by them, a coquettish smile playing on her lips as she trained her pistol on Reyes.

“You never could resist a big payout, could you Reyes?" she said, her tone accusatory.

Reyes’ devilish grin bloomed in full glory as he met Zia’s gaze, “What can I say? I’m a greedy man.”

Zia clicked her tongue in admonishment, “That is why you don’t have any friends. You could've taken my deal, but you’re selfish.”

“He’s a better man than you think,” said Sara, shocking not only herself but Reyes as well.

Zia’s laugh was hollow and filled with hate as she moved the muzzle of her pistol to aim at Sara, “Oh honey, you don’t know how wrong you are. He’d sell you out in a heartbeat if someone offered him enough credits.”

Reyes stepped forward, his voice turning dangerous, “Leave her out of this.”

Zia’s amusement turned cold and Sara’s hand unconsciously moved to hover over her pistol.

“You must really like this one Reyes,” said Zia, “Or maybe not. After all, you brought her here to die.”

Sara didn't have time to react before she found herself shoved to the ground, Reyes landing heavily on top of her.

Pushing himself onto his elbows, his wide eyes searched her face. She nodded at him in reassurance and he rolled away to take up a crouching position behind some nearby crates.

She followed his lead, pulling out her pistol as projectiles began ricocheting around her from all sides.

“Pathfinder,” came SAM from her omnitool, “there are multiple automated turrets on the upper floor but they are all connected to a single circuit.”

“Got it,” said Sara, already tapping on her omnitool. Rising from cover, she sent an overload signal to the closest turret. As SAM had predicted, all of the turrets exploded into sparks.

A second later, two gunshots echoed through the room and a projectile ricocheted off a crate, missing Sara’s head by mere inches. Sara followed the trajectory of the shot to find Zia falling- the second projectile searing through the center of her forehead.

She looked to Reyes who was scanning the area thoroughly. Only when he was sure that the room was free of threats did he meet her gaze. His eyes flashed with unchecked anger but it was quickly smothered, replaced with concern.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice explicitly divested of emotion.

“Yeah,” she replied, her voice shaking with residual adrenaline.

He looked away, shifting his weight back and forth unconsciously, “Damnit, we’re back to square one. There is no telling where Zia's hidden the OE.”

“We’ll find it,” said Sara and Reyes looked at her, his trademark sly smile fighting for control of his mouth.

“I thought you were a pessimist?” he asked.

She shrugged, “I’m also stubborn.”

He begrudgingly let his smirk show, “Of that, I am well aware.”

His mirth was short-lived, dying as he looked at the floor once more.

“Ryder- what you said earlier-“ he grappled with the words- a new experience for him considering the frustrated look on his face.

“I meant it,” she said plainly, answering the question he struggled to vocalize.

His head shot up, wide eyes searching her face before softening into the first genuine smile she’d ever seen from him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He took a deep breath and scanned the room once more, “You should get back to the Tempest.”

“What about you?” she asked, trying and failing to keep the concern from her voice.

He sighed, “Zia was a piece of work but it feels wrong to leave her like this. Don’t worry, I’ll clean up here and be back at Tartarus before you know it.”

It was her turn to smirk, “Good because you still owe me a drink.”

His wink was all the reassurance she needed. She turned and left, giving him the space he needed to reconcile Reyes- the devil-may-care smuggler with Reyes- the noble criminal.

Hopefully he’d finally come to the conclusion she had. They weren’t just masks, they were different facets of a dangerous but extraordinary man.


	9. Somebody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 9/29/17

Sara peered around the entrance of the ship, scanning the cargo bay thoroughly before ascending the ramp.

Jaal was working on something at his bench while Peebee leaned over the railing, pretending that she wasn’t enamored with their Angaran crewmember. Cora was sitting atop a stack of crates, engrossed in whatever words were scrolling across her datapad.

“Hey Ryder,” greeted Peebee loudly and everyone in the cargo bay looked up from their work.

Sara put her index finger to her lips, “Shhhhhh, I’m trying to be sneaky.”

“If you were trying to do that you’d be using your cloak,” noted Cora as she set aside her datapad.

“Good point,” sang Peebee, her smile curious.

Sara grumbled jokingly, “Damnit, I forgot about my cloak.”

Peebee and Jaal laughed but Cora’s expression remained impassive, a sure sign that things were not all good on the Tempest.

“Sara, could we talk in the Biolab?” she asked, already standing and turning toward the interior of the ship.

“Uh, sure,” replied Sara, noting Cora's careful control.

Sara turned to look up at Peebee, feigning the look of a student called to the principal's office. “If you don’t hear from me in thirty minutes, send a rescue party.”

Cora glowered over her shoulder, “I’m not the one you have to worry about.”

Sara’s mirth died instantly, “Is Scott in the Biolab?”

“No,” replied Cora as she continued toward the back of the ship, “He’s been planetside with Liam ever since learning you left the ship.”

Sara jogged forward until she could fall in step with Cora, her voice dropping, “So he was pretty angry, huh?”

“That’s an understatement. He nearly knocked a hole in the bulkhead.”

Sara ignored the pang of guilt, “I was going crazy. Besides, we need to find Meridian.”

When they stepped into the Biolab, Cora let out a long breath before turning toward Sara with a hard edge to her eyes. “You're right. You're still the Pathfinder and doing what’s best for the initiative is in the job description. Consequences be damned.”

“I’m glad someone understands that,” mumbled Sara.

“I do but, in Scott's defense, he's been through hell since Habitat Seven.”

Sara scoffed, “He's the one that's been worrying himself into an early grave.”

“I think he's earned the right to worry. You've nearly died twice now." Cora purposely let her pain shine through her eyes, "After he brought you back from the Natanus, there was a moment when we thought you were going to die. Lexi was trying her best but SAM had gone dark. I've never seen Scott like that- he was pacing outside the medbay for hours, praying that he wouldn't lose you. If he had-“ Cora cleared her throat, “Well, I don’t want to think what might have happened.”

Sara's heart grew heavier with every word until she was about to collapse under the weight.

Realizing the impact her words were having, Cora sighed heavily, "Look, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty but you needed to know. For everyone's sake."

Sara looked down, shamed by Cora's revelations. “I’ll talk to him,” she said quietly.

Cora turned and began checking her plants, "Good because I don't think the Biolab floor can handle much more of Scott's pacing. Neither can I for that matter."

Sara smiled sadly, “You love him, don’t you?”

Cora froze, her hands hovering above the leaves of a native plant. The silence stretched until Cora finally let her arms fall to her sides. "I don't know."

Sara looked at the floor, mixed up feelings were something she was very familiar with as of late.

"Love isn't something you know; it's something you feel."

When Cora didn't react Sara shrugged nervously, "I know, it's kind of corny, but it seems to fit."

"Thanks, Sara," said Cora after a moment, her voice lighter than it had been before.

Sara left the Biolab with a repentant heart. She owed Scott an apology. Actually, she owed him a whole lot more than that.

 

Sara found Scott wandering the market, a perplexed Liam following in his wake. As soon as Scott’s eyes found her, they softened with relief a split second before they began glowing with biotic energy. He stomped across the plaza, a ball of raging blue as he marched toward her.

“Where the hell have you been!” he growled.

She smirked at him, “Spelunking.”

“This isn’t a joke, Sara!”

Having failed to diffuse the tension between them, Sara switched tactics. “I don't know about you but I could really use a drink.”

He eyed her, his biotic field dimming but his stance still tense.

She sighed and gave him a sideways glance, “Just come to the bar, okay? I think we're long overdue some brother-sister time.”

Her plea had the desired effect as his biotic field disappeared and the anger drained out of him, "Fine."

Looking over Scott’s shoulder, she glanced at Liam who gave her the thumbs up and turned to head back to the Tempest. Nodding, she led the way to Kralla’s Song.

Upon entering the bar, Sara realized just how familiar the place was becoming. She even got a nodding acknowledgment from the perpetually angry Umi. Whether that was good or bad was yet to be seen.

She and Scott sat across from each other as Sara motioned for Umi to bring them drink. A few minutes later, two glasses of whiskey slid onto the table between them. Sara threw her drink back before pushing the other glass toward Scott who reluctantly did the same.

Taking a deep breath, Sara met her twin’s gaze.

“I’m sorry, Scott.”

He scoffed, “It's gonna take more than shitty whiskey to smooth this over. Lexi specifically said-”

“Not about leaving the Tempest. I’m definitely not sorry about that,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him but when he crossed his arms defensively, she took a fortifying breath.

“Okay, what I’m trying to say is I've acted like an idiot. Dad died, I died, I almost died again and never stopped to ask you if you were okay. In trying to fill Dad's shoes, I started acting like him. I stopped thinking about how my actions affect those around me- how they affected you. I’m sorry, Scott.”

Scott took a steadying breath, looking down at the table contritely, “I guess we’ve both been taking pages from ‘Alec Ryder’s guide to avoiding honesty.' I was angry with Dad and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

Sara's laugh was tinged with sadness, “We really did learn from the best, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” said Scott, passing her a sideways smirk.

A silence stretched between them as they both examined the bottoms of their empty glasses. Finally, Sara looked up and purposely set her glass aside.

“So, are we okay now?”

Scott met her gaze, sadness pulling at his lips, “I don’t know, Sara. You were right when you said things changed after you became Pathfinder.”

“Scott I- I can’t be Pathfinder without you,” she said, her voice a whispering plea.

He averted his gaze, turning his glass as if trying to find answers in the refracted light.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said finally, setting the glass aside and finally looking at her, “Pathfinder or not, you’re still my sister.”

Sara chuckled past the tears in her throat, “I love you too, ass.”

He laughed too but as it devolved into a light chuckle, he looked down at his glass. “I think I missed that,” he admitted.

“Me too,” she replied, smiling as she motioned to Umi for another drink.

She was about to suggest a night of drunken revelry when her omnitool beeped. Looking down, she found a message from Reyes.

> I’ve got a new lead on the cargo. Meet me outside Outcast HQ and I’ll give you the details.
> 
> -Reyes

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen that look since what’s-his-name or was it her name? The one you used to sneak out to see when we were at the Academy.”

Sara gave him a bored look, “Yara. Her name was Yara.”

"That's right," said Scott snapping his fingers, “The Asari from the wards. So who’s got you smiling like an idiot this time?”

Sara banished the smile that had somehow crept to her lips and dismissed her omnitool.

“What about you?” she asked in facetious admonishment, “Fraternizing with my second-in-command? How could you?”

His smile was utterly unapologetic, “Technically she was still Dad’s second when we started ‘fraternizing.'”

“Ha! Dad would have had a fit if he’d found out.”

Scott shrugged, “Not that I would have cared. Cora- well, she’s a special woman.”

“On that, we can agree," said Sara with a grin as she pushed herself from her chair, "Anyways, I’ve gotta go.”

“Where to?”

“Meeting up with my Resistance contact. He and I have been trying to track down a shipment of Omega-Enkaphalin that somehow ended up in Andromeda.”

Scott’s eyebrows rose, “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” she said, her face darkening slightly, “That’s why it’d be better if you headed back to the Tempest.”

He nodded, understanding, “Are you gonna call one of the others to back you up?”

Sara shook her head, “Reyes and I have it in hand.”

Scott eyed her suspiciously, “Are you sure you can trust him?”

“He’d like me to think he was a dastardly bastard but he’s got a good heart.”

Scott groaned, “Oh my god, you like him.”

“Do not,” she argued.

He pinned her with a knowing smirk, “Sure, you don’t.”

“I don’t!”

“I think you're protesting too much,” he replied before putting his hands up in surrender, “but it’s none of my business. Just be careful okay? O.E. or not, I’m just a call away.”

She smiled, “Okay. Thanks, Scott.”

“What else are brothers for?”

She smiled at him over her shoulder before continuing toward the Outcast headquarters where Reyes was waiting for her.

Reyes was leaning languidly against the side of the building, his demeanor one of casual indifference but his eyes cataloged every passing face. Only when he saw her did his expression soften and a genuine smile grace his lips.

“Ryder,” he greeted with a nod of his head.

She smiled back at him before glancing at the door, “What do you have?”

As she expected his smile devolved into a smirk, “I have it on very good authority that Zia sold the cargo to Sloane. Lucky for us, Sloane is throwing a party tonight and I managed to score an invite, you’ll be my plus one and together we can try to figure out where the cargo ended up.”

She nodded, “Sounds good except that Sloane hates my guts. I'll be lucky to make it through the door without getting shot.”

He bowed gentlemanly, looking up to give her a dashing smile befitting only the most debonair, “Well, then it will be up to me to keep you from harm.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle and he straightened, obviously pleased by her response. “In all seriousness, Sloane is unlikely to start a fight. There is too much at stake. This party is meant to soothe the angry Angara who blame Sloane for letting Vehn escape.”

They shared a knowing smile before Sara waved toward the door, “Then, by all means, lead the way.”

Reyes winked and offered his arm so that they could walk into the den of the lioness together.

Inside, various Angara and Outcast leaders mingled. Most were already merrily drunk so no one even noticed Sara but Reyes garnered a few looks. One Angaran in particular sashayed across the room with a broad smile on her face.

“Reyes Vidal,” she drawled, “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”

His smile was friendly but laced with secrets, “You remember what I said about being ‘fashionably late.'”

The Angaran smiled knowingly, “Stop your nonsense and introduce me to your companion.”

“Keema, this is Sara Ryder- the human Pathfinder. Sara, this is Keema Dorghan- The Angaran Representative to Sloane.”

Keema turned her smile on Sara, “I was hoping he’d bring you. You’re all he talks about lately.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Reyes shift his weight uncomfortably. “Oh, is that so?”

He chuckled, quickly smoothing over his momentary lapse in control, “Sorry to cut this short, Keema, but I have something to take care of. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Sara pouted at him, easily falling into the lie, “Abandoning me already?”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said with a wink, “I promise.”

Keema chuckled as Reyes disappeared into the crowd, “And there he goes.”

“You know where he’s going?” asked Sara, curious to know if Keema was in on the plan but Keema waved away Sara’s concern.

“It’s best not to know what Reyes does. Instead, you should talk to some of the others. Many Angara respect what you did to save the Moshae so you should take the opportunity to strengthen relations. After all, we have to learn to trust each other if we are going to exist in peace.”

Sara considered her words, “You have a very good point.”

Keema’s smile softened, “Now you see why even Reyes listens to my sage counsel. In fact, I should take my own advice. There are a lot of important people here tonight and I'll need to greet them all. It was nice to meet you, Pathfinder. I hope we'll get to talk again soon."

“Definitely,” said Sara and Keema gave her a final warm smile before disappearing into the crowd.

Sara wasn’t left alone for long though, as Kaetus appeared not two seconds later.

“Pathfinder,” he growled.

“Kaetus,” she greeted, her voice overly cheerful, “Nice to see you again. I was going to return your pistol but I seem to have misplaced it. I’ll be sure to bring it by as soon as I find it.”

Kaetus wasn’t amused, “You can keep it. I’ve got plenty. Keep that in mind as you answer my next question. Why are you here?”

"I'm here with a friend actually."

"A mysteriously absent friend."

She pretended to look around, "Oh, where did he go now? I hope he isn't flirting with that Turian again."

"Har har," said Kaetus, "you'd better find your 'friend' and leave before I have you escorted out. Got it?"

Sara mockingly saluted with two fingers, “Roger that, chief. See? I can be civil. All you had to do was ask for something reasonable.”

Kaetus glared, "You'd best hurry, Ryder. The clock is ticking."

As soon as Kaetus disappeared, Sara began legitimately searching the room.

“SAM,” she whispered, “where’s Reyes?”

“I lost track of him near the back of the building. There is a door but there appears to be nothing on the other side. I believe it may be shielded.”

“Makes sense,” said Sara, already turning down the corridor that led to said door. As it slid open she found Reyes replacing a lid on a crate.

“Find anything?” she asked and Reyes looked up, a smile spreading across his face.

“Yes, it's here, now we just have to figure out how to steal it back.”

Sara smiled as a plan formed in her head, “Steal it? Why?”

He frowned, “I know I don’t have to tell you how dangerous it is.”

“Yep,” she said, digging into her pocket to produce a detonator, “which is why we’re going to blow it up.”

Reyes’ sighed, “I should have known you wouldn’t come unarmed.”

She shrugged innocently, "Well, technically I can't blow it up but with a little creativity I can set it to incinerate. By the time anyone notices what's happening, this whole room will be up in flames."

He was about to say something when footsteps sounded from the outer corridor.

Sara’s eyes widened, “Shit, someone’s coming.”

“We need a diversion,” agreed Reyes, looking around for anything that might prove useful.

Running on instinct, Sara rushed forward and pressed her lips to his.

To say he was surprised was an understatement. He moaned into Sara's mouth, his hands gripping her hips to pull her closer. She answered in turn, equally surprised by the way he tasted. A nervous cough and a mumbled apology barely registered as she snaked her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

Seemingly coming back to himself, he slowly pulled away, leaving her admittedly flustered.

“I think we’re in the clear,” he said past a chuckle.

She quickly backed away to clear her head. “Uh, yeah, we’d better hurry. Who knows when they’ll come back.”

Reyes nodded, turning to dig into another crate, "I just have to grab one thing."

She smirked as she knelt to set the detonator, only looking up when he emerged with a devilish smile.

She raised an eyebrow at him over her shoulder, “A bottle of whiskey?”

He scoffed, “This is the only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda!” He began rubbing the bottle lovingly; stroking the glass surface as if it were the most precious thing the in galaxy, “Triple distilled and six-hundred and forty-five years old. This isn’t just whiskey; it’s treasure.”

She laughed and shook her head as she tapped a command into her omnitool. “Okay, we’ve got twenty minutes.”

“Then we’d better get out of here,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her from the room. They continued that way, hand-in-hand, until they were breathing unfiltered Kadara air.

Stopping, Reyes lifted the bottle, “How about we find a good vantage point and celebrate our good deed?”

She smiled, “Well, you do owe me a drink. Several in fact.”

He laughed as he turned to head down a nearby alley. Soon they came to a ladder, and Reyes waved her ahead of him. “Ladies first.”

She shrugged, “If you insist.”

The ladder led to a rooftop that overlooked the port’s main square. They soon found a spot on the edge of the roof, letting their feet dangle as they sat in companionable silence and waited.

The loud shrieks of surprised party guests soon reached them and Reyes finally uncapped the bottle. He took a large swig before passing it to Sara.

She took a short sip, and her eyes widened in surprise, “Oh my god that’s smooth.”

“What? Did you think I was lying?” he teased.

“It was entirely possible,” she returned facetiously.

He made a show of pressing his hand to his chest in indignation, “Sara, you wound me.”

She laughed but as the sound drifted off, a comfortable silence surrounded them. Minutes turned to hours as the sun made its final descent into the horizon, painting the sky in shades of lavender.

“It's gorgeous,” said Reyes in awe, “Sometimes I forget how beautiful this place can be.”

“Yeah,” agreed Sara, looking at the scene in admiration.

Reyes passed the bottle back to her, his voice taking on a melancholy tone, “Is Andromeda everything you hoped it would be?”

“I wanted adventure and I got it,” she replied, a slight sadness in her voice that spoke of all the pain she’d endured to reach that point. Of the hell she’d put her brother through.

Standing on the edge of an abyss, she quickly changed the subject.

Passing back the bottle, she asked, “What about you, Reyes? What brought you to Andromeda?”

He took a large gulp of the whiskey to galvanize himself against his own words. He looked out over the horizon, the ghosts of the past haunting the shadows on his face. “To be somebody.”

Sara scooted closer to him so that she could draw his attention to her serious expression. “You are somebody,” she said, trying to put as much confidence in the statement as she could.

He reached up, tilting her chin so that he could search her face. Her honesty reflected in his amber eyes, banishing some of the darkness there.

“Is it wrong for me to hope that kiss was more than just a distraction?” he asked, averting his gaze.

Instead of answering, she cupped his face and rubbed her thumb over his cheekbone as if she could banish his demons with a touch. Then she pulled his face to hers and kissed him once more. It started slow and soft, Reyes’ apprehension apparent in the way he followed her lead, only deepening the kiss on her invitation.

The Kadara sun had disappeared behind the horizon when she pulled him backward with her. She reached up to unzip his flight suit and he pulled away, the neon light highlighting his hesitation.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked breathlessly.

She nodded, smiling up at him as she continued to pull the zipper down. In an instant, his apprehension disappeared and he kissed her again but now there was a passion to him that hadn't been there before. He drank her in as if she were the last drink of water on a desert planet.

She met his desire, motivated by her need to drive away the demons that haunted them both. Their shackles could return with the morning light but at that moment they were free.


	10. Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 9/29/17

“Hey, Pathfinder, I think I finally got that transponder working,” said Gil over the intercom.

“I’m on my way,” she said, leaving her fourth cup of coffee on the galley table in her rush.

She walked through the doors of the engineering bay to find Gil holding the transponder, waiting for her expectantly.

“Took you long enough,” she teased as she held out her hand for the device.

He rolled his eyes, “The thing was in tatters. I’m an engineer, not a miracle worker.”

She chuckled as Gil handed her the transponder. As soon as she touched it, it powered on and an angry Kett voice came through it.

“Shit!” she exclaimed.

“Turn it off!” Gil was panicking, reaching across her to help.

“I’m trying!”

When the Kett's voice grew angrier, she finally dropped it on the floor and just stepped on it, breaking it again. Gil sighed in relief as it powered down.

“Shit, Ryder, that is a direct line to people who want to murder everyone on this ship!”

“I know!” she said, looking at the destroyed transponder. When she was sure it wasn’t going to spring back to life, she relaxed.

“SAM? Did we get anything useful from it?”

“Yes, Pathfinder, I was able to triangulate the signal’s origin. I’ve uploaded the coordinates to the galaxy map.”

“Thanks,” she said but her shoulders had gone tense again.

“You sure you want to do this?” asked Gil.

She took a steadying breath, “No but we don’t have much of a choice. If Meridian is as powerful we think, we have to find it.”

Gil was unconvinced but before he could put words to his doubts, her omnitool rang.

Sara gaped as she saw the caller ID.

“Sloane?”

Sloane's sneer appeared on the screen, “Wipe that ridiculous look off your face."

Sara glared at the woman, "What possible reason would you have to call me?"

Sloane’s face fell, “Unfortunately, I have to ask for your help.”

Sara scoffed, “Yeah? With what?”

Sloane’s eyes shifted before she sighed, “The Kett. They’re back on Kadara.”

“That doesn’t explain why you need my help. Can’t you just send some of your goons?”

“Look, I’d rather not discuss this on an open channel," said Sloane irritably, "Come to the Outcast headquarters and I’ll give you the details.”

Sara didn’t get the chance to respond before the screen disappeared.

When she looked up, her confusion was mirrored on Gil’s face.

“I thought Sloane wanted you dead?”

Sara shrugged, “Not anymore apparently.” Sara brought up her omnitool again, calling Vetra and Drack and asking them to meet her in the armory.

Vetra acknowledged the order without comment but Drack didn’t seem able to help himself.

“About time. My plates were beginning to itch, being idle for so long.”

“Don’t get too excited. We’re headed for Outcast H.Q.”

Vetra sighed but Drack laughed, “Round two?”

Sara sighed, “I hope not.”

 

Walking into the headquarters, Sara was surprised to find Sloane sitting alone.

“Took you long enough,” said Sloane coldly.

“Where is everyone?” asked Sara.

Sloane’s voice dripped with acid, “I told them to get out of my sight.”

“I take it someone pissed you off?”

“That’s none of your damn business.”

Sara pointed a thumb over her shoulder, “I can leave, you know?”

Sloane spoke through clenched teeth, “Kaetus was looking into a possible Kett presence in Draullir when his own men attacked him. They beat him to within an inch of his life and left him on my damn doorstep.”

Sara had the decency to look apologetic but Sloane turned violent at the pity in Sara’s eyes.

“I didn’t call you here for a fucking pity party. Those Kett need to be dealt with. NOW. And since I can’t trust the people in my own organization, you’re all that’s left.”

Sara nodded, “Alright. I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m going with you.”

Sara raised an eyebrow, “You think that’s a good idea? You don’t seem like you’re in a great place right now.”

“You don’t know shit. Either we can go together or I can go alone. Your choice.”

Sara stifled a sigh, “Fine. Let’s go.”

 

As soon as the Nomad came to a stop outside Draullir Sloane bailed out.

“You drive like a goddamn lunatic,” Sloane muttered as she pulled her pistol from her hip and headed for the cave, single-minded in her pursuit of the Kett.

Drack and Vetra eyed Sara, silently questioning whether following Sloane was a smart decision.

She passed them a smirk before drawing her own weapon, “You two stay here and watch our backs. I’ll let you know if we need you.”

Drack was obviously unhappy about that plan but nodded anyway, “Keep your coms open kid.”

She smiled reassuringly and nodded before following Sloane into the cave. They weren’t there long before it became apparent something was wrong.

“There doesn’t seem to be any sign of the Kett,” said Sara, noting the lack of Kett tech at the entrance.

“Thanks for stating the obvious,” sneered Sloane, “but we’re not leaving until we know for sure.”

“Then I’ll save you the trouble.”

Sara’s head shot up at the familiar voice.

Emerging from the shadows, Reyes stood on an outcropping of rock but he was a completely different man from the one she knew. His face was hard, shadows clinging to his features like a mask.

“Reyes?” her shock-filled voice sounded alien to her own ears.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Sloane, her disdain visible.

Reyes jumped down from the outcropping to stand across from them. The shadows followed him like a cloak.

“We’ve been fighting for a long time,” said Reyes, his cold eyes trained on Sloane, “I move against you, you move against me. It was bound to lead to war eventually. I wanted to avoid that.”

Sloane scowled, “What the hell are you talking about?”

The last piece of the Reyes Vidal puzzle clicked into place.

“You’re the Charlatan,” Sara said in awe.

Sloane scoffed, “Reyes fucking Vidal? The Charlatan? Are you insane?”

Reyes’ smile was pure darkness, “Then why are you here?”

Glancing between Sara and Reyes, Sloane finally saw the truth. Slowly it all came together until Sloane was shaking with rage.

“Kaetus almost died because of you!”

Reyes was unapologetic, “Some wounds hurt more than others.”

A flash in the darkness caught Sara’s eyes.

“There is a sniper,” said SAM on their private channel, “his sights are set on Sloane.”

Sloane drew her pistol.

Sara’s instincts told her to push Sloane to the ground and rescue her from the foolishness of her own anger, to save Reyes from Sloane’s wrath. Instead, her feet were glued to the spot as emotions ran through her. Betrayal, anger, fear- they all twisted in her gut and drove her logic away.

Two shots rang through the cave followed by the crack of a breaking shield.

At first, Sara's eyes flew to Reyes but the residual static of his broken shield told her she had nothing to fear.

That only left Sloane.

The woman was frozen, her eyes wide with pain. Blood erupted from her chest as she looked up at Reyes, a dozen questions in her eyes. Why did she have to die? What had she done wrong?

Reyes’ silent answer was cold. She had done this to herself. Every public execution, every civilian exiled to the badlands, every decision made in anger had led to her demise. Reyes had been merely the one to pull the trigger.

Sloane looked down, her eyes closing in aphonic regret before she fell to the ground.

Sadness floated across Reyes’ frown as he waved toward her body. “Get her out of here.”

Two men emerged from the shadows to collect Sloane’s corpse but Sara wasn’t paying attention to them. Her eyes were glued to Reyes.

She saw the way his jaw clenched and his eyes filled with a silent apology. Only when his men had disappeared further into the cave, did the shadows fade away, retreating from his face and leaving him exhausted.

“You weren’t supposed to be here,” he whispered as if he wasn’t speaking to Sara but to himself, “I overestimated her pride.”

“You UNDERestimated her attachment to Kaetus,” she replied, her voice instructional rather than accusatory.

“Sloane should have known that ruling with an iron fist would lead to betrayal,” he didn’t defend his actions, instead he let the guilt consume him and his voice fall to an octave just above a whisper, “but Kaetus didn’t deserve to pay for her sins.”

“Doesn't mean you didn't use it to your advantage.”

His head snapped up to search her face but she averted her eyes as she answered his unspoken questions.

“Everything that’s happened since I arrived in Kadara was done to make Sloane appear weak. You took everything from her so that she’d follow her anger to the grave.”

Again his voice was unapologetic as he finally became defensive. The tone set Sara’s teeth on edge. “Sloane would have brought civil war to Heleus and we can’t afford to let that happen. There’s too much at stake.”

Sara’s voice went low, “You were using me.”

She heard him tense and looked up to find him utterly devastated by her statement.

“Why didn’t you just trust me?” she asked, unable to stop the betrayal from cracking her voice.

He looked at his feet, a sad smirk twisting his lips, “I liked the way you looked at me. I didn’t want that to change.”

With those words, at that moment, he was completely vulnerable. The wrong words and Sara would break the man who'd showed her more of his heart than he'd meant to.

“Reyes, look at me.”

He did, shock overtaking his face as he saw her soft smile.

“Nothing’s changed because you haven’t changed. You’re still a man who wants to help make the galaxy a better place.”

Before she could blink, he was striding toward her. His arms snapped around her, pulling her toward him so that he could kiss her in the same passionate way he had on the rooftop.

She lost her footing, stumbling backward and into the cave wall. Taking advantage, Reyes pinned her there. Molten eyes affixed themselves to her lips as he braced his hands on either side of her head.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he whispered breathlessly.

Her chuckle devolved into a moan as he kissed her again. Their desire escalated into insatiable lust that ended all too soon as he pulled away.

The smirk on his face was tinged with sadness, “Time is of the essence. We have to move quickly if we’re going to take the port before the Outcasts find out what happened.”

She let out a long sigh, looking at the ground.

“Will you come to Tartarus later?” he asked, hope coloring his tone.

She nodded without meeting his gaze, unable to trust her voice or expression.

Lifting her chin, he smiled knowingly. She mirrored the smile back at him, falling easily under his spell. He kissed her one last time and turned away, winking over his shoulder before disappearing into the shadows of the cave.

Taking a calming breath, Sara pushed herself away from the cave wall and walked out into the Kadaran sun where her team was waiting for her.

Vetra and Drack refused to look at her as she approached the Nomad.

“I'm guessing you guys heard all that?” she asked in exasperation.

Vetra looked at her meekly but Drack just crossed his arms in annoyance.

“I shut off the coms when I heard moaning,” he said.

She sighed. It was going to be a long time before she’d be able to look Drack in the eye again.

“Well, I’m glad Sloane’s dead,” said Vetra coldly, thankfully changing the subject, “Reyes was right. She was going to cause a war and we definitely don’t have the population to sustain that.”

Drack shifted, "I'm not sure about that. Shadow empires tend to fall pretty quickly. It's hard for people to trust a faceless leader."

Sara knew they were both right but she couldn't find it within herself to doubt her decision. Not when she could still taste Reyes on her lips.

 

“Sara,” her name was like a prayer from his lips. Relief softened his features but his shoulders still held the tension of his dismay. Until she had appeared at the door, he’d been afraid she wouldn’t come.

She smiled to put him at ease, “I guess this will be the last time I'll see you here. I expect you'll be moving into the throne room soon.”

He rolled his eyes, the residual tension seeping out of him, “Absolutely not.”

She raised an eyebrow, “As charming as it is, Tartarus is a little shabby for Kadara’s new leader don’t you think?”

He chuckled, “The Angara you met at Sloane’s party, Keema, has agreed to be my front. For all intents and purposes, she’ll be Kadara’s leader. After all, I prefer to rule from the shadows.”

“You were never in it for the power,” she stated and he looked away awkwardly. When his eyes came back to her, there was only honesty in his face.

“How do you do that?” he asked.

“What?”

“Make me speechless.”

Laughing, she moved to sit beside him on the couch, “Oh my god, that was cheesy.”

He grinned playfully, “Definitely but still true.” He looked away again, his smile devolved into a frown, “I'm glad you came. I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

He took a fortifying breath, exposing his doubts through his eyes, “Since leaving the Nexus, my survival has depended on secrets but I should never have kept the truth from you. I’m sorry.”

She cupped his cheek, “It’s done, Reyes.”

He pulled away from her, looking at the floor, “No, it's not. I don’t want secrets to come between us.”

She averted her eyes as she remembered things she would rather forget. “Everyone has secrets, things that they don’t want to talk about.” She looked at him again and saw understanding in his features, something she was thankful for. "As long as we are honest about the way we feel, as long as we don’t hurt one another, we’ll be fine."

His smile returned, filled with affection, “Then I promise I won't ever hurt you again."

She smiled back, "Good."

Suddenly, he came to stand in front of her, “Still, I feel like I need to make amends, so I have a surprise."

His face turned secretive and she watched him suspiciously as he tapped his omnitool.

Classical music filled the room and he bowed to her in a gentlemanly fashion.

“Will you dance with me?” he asked, his voice husky.

She grinned and took his outstretched hand, “I didn’t know you had a romantic streak.”

He led her to the middle of the room and pulled her to him, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me but I hope to change that.”

They swayed in time to the music, their eyes locked on each other. Sara was content to just drift through the tinkling of the piano but when he kissed her, it was like walking through space. Her fears of the future drifted away. 

If only they could stay that way forever.


	11. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 10/1/17

Sara looked past the window to see the Salarian Ark tethered to the Archon’s ship and cursed, drawing concerned looks from Suvi and Kallo.

"SAM can you pull up a tactical analysis?"

“Only the cryobays remain operational. I see no other life signs aboard.”

“Well, there’s that at least,” she mumbled, turning toward Kallo, “You think you can get us to the Ark without being spotted?”

Kallo didn’t hesitate, a steely glint in his dark eyes, “Definitely.”

She nodded, “SAM, tell everyone to meet in the com room a-sap.”

“Yes, Sara.”

Stiffening her spine, Sara executed a perfect about-face and went to meet her team.

Shortly after she arrived, the rest of her crew began filtering in. Every crewmember that ascended the ramp scanned Sara critically, taking in her rigid stance and deep frown. She ignored them, bringing up SAM’s tactical scan as soon as they had all gathered around the table.

“Holy hell,” exclaimed Liam.

“You can say that again,” muttered Peebee.

Sara looked at each of her team in turn. They understood her trepidation and reflected it back at her.

“Obviously, we came here to find Meridian but we can’t abandon the Paarchero, so we need to come up with a plan,” said Sara.

Cora’s expression turned adamant, “Evacuation would be risky. I think our best bet would be to fly the whole Ark back to the Nexus.”

“Yeah but how?” asked Vetra, skeptically.

“Pathfinder,” interjected SAM, “according to my analysis of the ship, the SAM node appears intact. If brought back online, my Salarian counterpart could pilot the ship back to the Nexus.”

Scott braced his hands against the table, leaning forward to examine the hologram more closely, “That sounds good in theory, SAM, but you can bet the moment we disconnect those tethers the Kett will go on alert, not leaving much time to jump to FTL before they power up weapons.”

“Agreed,” said Sara, “So I think it would be best to send in multiple teams. One to infiltrate the Archon’s ship and find the map to Meridian. One to disconnect the tethers and another to bring the SAM node back online and accompany the Ark back to the Nexus.”

“Sound’s good,” said Drack with a dark smile, “just point me wherever you want me to go.”

“Well, since I’m the only one who can interact with RemTech, I’ll have to be the one to retrieve the map,” said Sara, scanning the hologram one last time before eyeing Scott and Liam in turn.

“ Jaal and Cora will accompany me. Scott, you’ll take Vetra and Drack to disconnect the tethers. Liam, you and Peebee will bring the SAM node back online.

“You'll need to work as quickly as possible so that the moment Scott’s team disconnects the tethers; you can jump back to Nexus. No matter what happens, getting the Ark to safety is your top priority.”

Liam gave her a confident smile, “You got it, Pathfinder.”

“What about egress for the other two teams?” asked Cora.

Scott was the one to answer, tapping his omnitool to highlight a room at the top of the Archon’s ship. “We could converge here and signal the Tempest for extraction.”

Sara flashed Scott a thankful smile before scanning the room one last time, “Alright team, we hit the Ark in thirty. Don’t let there be any misconceptions; we’re going to need a lot of luck to pull this off.”

Peebee smirked, “Then we’d better say our prayers now because our luck sucks.”

“Nope, just Sara’s. She’s the human equivalent of a black cat,” said Scott.

“I do not understand the reference but I would like to switch teams,” said Jaal, causing everyone to burst into fits of laughter.

Sara feigned boredom, “Thank you all for your loyalty and support.”

Everyone was still smiling as they went to prepare for the mission, leaving Sara to smirk at her feet. They were more than shipmates. They were family.

 

Entering the Paarchero was like walking into a ghost town. The halls echoed with silence, haunted by emptiness. All levity from earlier had been drained from the crew, leaving them tense. Caution narrated their journey through the ship even though SAM had assured them there was no Kett presence on board.

When they reached the point where their teams would diverge, Sara turned to her crew with a reassuring smile.

“Be safe everyone and keep your coms open."

They each nodded in turn before breaking off. Scott was the last to leave, passing Cora a final reassuring smirk over his shoulder as he turned the corner.  
With a sigh Sara took point, leading Cora and Jaal through the tether and toward the Archon’s ship.

Every echoing footstep rang through her soul, sending shivers down her spine.

“We’ve reached SAM node,” said Liam over the coms.

She heard the telltale whoosh of the opening door before Liam cursed.

“What is it?” asked Sara.

“I think we found their pathfinder. Jesus, this is just…”

Sara didn’t need to hear more. Her imagination was already running through all of the possible tortures visited upon the unfortunate Salarian Pathfinder.

“Kett bastards,” Liam muttered, punctuating her thoughts.

“Can you bring the SAM node back online?” asked Sara to refocus on the task at hand.

“Give us a minute,” replied Liam before Peebee spoke up.

“Huh, it looks like she left us a riddle. ‘This one is a cordial invertebrate.' That’s easy, a Hanar.”

“Easy for a milky way species. Not for the Kett. They don’t even know what Hanar are,” said Scott.

“Good point.”

A beep from the background made Peebee squeal with delight.

“The Salarian Pathfinder left us instructions on how to bring the SAM node back online,” said Liam, “we’ll have it up in no time.”

“Great job you two.”

“It was the Pathfinder,” said Liam, sadness in his voice, “even when she’d lost she found a way to win. She deserved better.”

“Then let’s make sure her sacrifice isn’t for nothing,” said Sara.

“Roger that,” said Scott.

Sara and her team came to a stop just short of the entrance to the Kett ship.

“Alright, we're about to board the Archon's ship, if we’re lucky they won’t even know we’re here.”

Cora and Jaal nodded in confirmation and followed her through the doorway.

Only to be immediately noticed by a patrolling Kett soldier. Gunfire exploded around them, forcing Sara to dive for cover.

“I think they noticed us,” said Jaal as he decloaked behind the offending soldier and stabbed it in the neck.

“How about less sarcasm and more shooting?” yelled Cora.

It didn’t take them long to bring down the few Kett that had discovered them, leaving Sara buzzing with unspent adrenaline.

“Everyone in one piece?” asked Sara as she emerged from cover.

“Yeah,” said Cora, her biotic field fading. Jaal decloaked once more and nodded.

Sara returned the motion. “Scott, what’s your status?”

“I think we might have found a way to retract the tethers but it's gonna require us to retract each one individually.”

“Okay. Liam? What about you?”

Liam grunted, “We’ve almost got it. Shit!”

“What happened?”

“Nothing, we’ve got it online but I won’t have feeling back in my arm for a few minutes. Bloody hell, that hurt.”

“I told you not to ground yourself,” said Peebee and someone snorted in an attempt to control a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up B’Sayle,” said Liam.

“Pathfinder," said SAM on their private channel, "I have made contact with my Salarian counterpart. It has agreed to fly the Ark back to the Nexus but says that it cannot do so without first reintegrating with a Pathfinder.”

Sara cursed under her breath.

“I may have a solution,” said SAM.

“Let’s hear it.”

“The implants are different for each species so normally my counterpart would have to integrate with a member of the Ark Paarchero Pathfinder team but due to the special design of your implant, you would be able to integrate with the Salarian A.I. easily. Yet, your implant was not designed to accommodate two A.I. at once leaving us with only one option.”

Sara stopped in her tracks as she realized where SAM’s line of thought was headed.

“Pathfinder authority will have to pass to Scott."

“What?”

Sara hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until she heard the shock in Scott’s voice.

“The Salarian SAM can’t fly the ship without a Pathfinder,” said Sara, her voice filled with apology, “The only person with an implant capable of taking on the authority is you.”

A ping alerted Sara that Cora had requested a private channel. She agreed, turning to her second-in-command.

“Sara,” she whispered despite the privacy of the channel, “Don’t ask Scott to do this.”

Sara sighed, “I don’t see another option.”

“Sara-“ Cora warned but Sara switched back to the team channel.

“Scott?” she said, her voice loaded with apprehension.

Cora’s eyes closed when Scott answered, “Okay.”

Suddenly Scott hissed, a sharp curse escaping over the coms.

Cora’s eyes went wide, “Scott? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said though his breathing was labored, “yeah, I think I’ll be okay.”

“I apologize for the discomfort, adapting to your implant proved more difficult than I predicted,” said the high-pitched synthetic voice of the Salarian SAM.

“It’s fine,” said Scott though his tone told Sara it was anything but.

“Have you reconnected to Ark Paarchero’s systems?” asked Sara’s SAM, his voice showing more emotional inflection that his counterpart.

“Affirmative,” replied the Salarian SAM, “I am ready to pilot the Ark at your command Pathfinder.”

“Thank you,” said Sara, her voice filled with apology.

Scott grunted, “Let’s disconnect these tethers. The sooner we’re off this ship, the better.”

Sara took a deep breath, driving her guilt away. She had a map to find and the mission had to come first. It always had to come first.

“We are disconnecting the first tether. Be prepared, this is probably going to set off all kinds of alarms,” said Vetra a few moments later.

As predicted, Sara’s ears were assaulted by a screeching sound. The doors around them began to shut one by one, forcing Sara and her team to sprint to reach the next room.

What they found on the other side of the threshold sent a new chill down Sara’s spine.

Surgical suites contained within small glass bubbles set on either side of the room. Looming above each of the six chairs were vicious-looking contraptions. Small tables were strewn with medical instruments that were familiar yet far more nefarious. One, in particular, Sara recognized as a syringe, its shape cylindrical with a glass vial on one end but instead of a needle it had teeth meant to dig in and suck out as much fluid as possible. It took all of Sara’s willpower not to vomit when she realized the chairs were spotted with green blood.

“We need to stop this,” Sara whispered darkly as if she needed more reason to hate the Kett.

“We will,” said Jaal, his voice equally menacing.

The next room drove the horror to a climax as empty cryopods stood sentinel over dead Salarians, lined up in neat rows as if they were nothing more than livestock who'd served their purpose. Sara pulled up her scanner in an attempt to register the names of the dead but got more than she bargained for as SAM spoke.

“Salarian male. Designation: R-1297. Name: Liball Ipon. His organs were removed while he was still alive.”

She closed her eyes to stem her disgust, “SAM, please. Just, record the names. I don’t need the details.”

There was a short pause before SAM replied, “Yes, Pathfinder.”

No one else spoke as Sara continued to scan the bodies. Once she had cataloged all the corpses and pods she could find, they moved on.

Sara almost sighed in relief when the next room was dark. Orange consoles provided the only illumination though they were so dim that Sara had to keep her focus on the waypoint to lead them forward.

They were about halfway through the room when SAM said, “Caution.”

His warning proved too late when orange light encircled Sara’s wrists and ankles, hauling her into the air.

Sara gasped, unable to pull air into lungs as memories assaulted her.

Suspended in white light. Agony. Death.

“Sara?” asked Cora, panic in her voice.

“Cora? What’s going on? What’s wrong with Sara?” asked Scott, his voice equally alarmed.

“I don’t know. We’re suspended in some sort of stasis field. I can’t reach her.”

"I believe the Pathfinder is experiencing a panic attack,” said SAM, his voice too loud.

Suddenly, she was back on Habitat Seven.

No, she’d never left. Any moment the torture would return. She would rather die.

“Then do something!” yelled Scott though it was as if his voice was far away. Leaving her behind.

“I was under the impression that manipulating Sara’s fear response was detrimental to her abilities as a Pathfinder.”

“Forget about that! Just do something!” Scott yelled before addressing her directly, “Sara? Sara, listen to me. You’re okay. Just breath.”

She could barely hear him, his voice like a watery whisper as the edges of her vision turned blurry.

“SAM!”

All at once, warmth filled Sara’s body- radiating from her chest and filling her with comfort. Her heart rate slowed and she pulled in gasps of air.

“Sara?” asked Cora, her concern laced an undercurrent of relief.

“I’m okay,” she said past the tightness of her throat. She was okay. She was warm. She was safe. SAM was there, and nothing could hurt her.

“What happened?” asked Scott, his voice tense.

She didn’t get to answer, a voice from the darkness pulling her attention across the room, “This is a fitting end.”

Sara’s addled brain took a moment to place the vibrating baritone. The Archon.

He emerged from the obscurity to stand before her, his eyes lifeless and cold.

“A human, such an unlikely rival. After decades surrounded by amoeba it was almost invigorating to have one. And yet, here you are. My prisoner at last.”

Sara narrowed her eyes at him, finding her courage amidst the warmth in her veins.

“Awww, you look sad. I’d give you a hug but-“

Her sarcastic remark was halted by the Archon’s hand around her throat. There was no anger in his expression, only curiosity.

“Let her go,” hissed Cora.

The Archon held out his free hand and an underling scurried from the shadows to place a syringe in his empty palm. The same type of syringe she had seen earlier, with its menacing teeth meant to rip and tear.

The Archon’s hand slide upwards to grasp her chin, turning her head so that he could stab the syringe into her neck unimpeded. She hissed as the device pinched her skin and the sound of rushing fluids hit her ears. Then, just as quickly as he had stabbed her, the Archon let her go. He held the syringe out to his subordinate who promptly took it and scampered from the room.

“It is only a first sample,” said the Archon monotonously, “your testing begins now.”

Then he directly met her gaze, watching her with inquisitive eyes until visibly determining her face held no answers.

“Soon I will learn what makes you special,” he promised.

Sara was about to respond when the Archon's attention moved past her, his vision focusing on something only he could see.

“Await my arrival,” he commanded and it became evident that he was speaking into a communicator.

Sara smiled devilishly, “Do you have to go? It’s okay. We can pick this up later.”

“Save your strength,” the Archon warned, “You’ll need it in the days to come.”

He about-faced and disappeared back into the darkness, the whispering sound of the closing door the only indication that he was indeed gone.

“Scott? Liam? Is anyone there?” asked Cora.

SAM answered instead, “The second tether has been disconnected and the Salarian Ark has escaped with Mr. Kosta and Ms. B’Sayle onboard. Since then, I have been unable to locate Scott's team or communicate with my Salarian counterpart.”

Sara cursed.

“Sara, I have identified a neurotransmitter in your bloodstream. I am attempting to neutralize it,” continued SAM on their private channel.

“This day just keeps getting better and better,” mumbled Sara before addressing SAM at an octave the others could hear, “Okay, one thing at a time. How do we get out of this immobilization field?”

There was a pause before SAM replied, “The field only interacts with living subjects. If you were to expire, the field would disengage until manually reset.”

“Well, dying was not on the agenda today,” said Sara sarcastically.

“I would resuscitate you, of course,” said SAM.

“No SAM,” growled Cora, “find another option.”

“There are no alternative means of escaping the field,” said SAM.

His matter-of-fact tone struck Sara as wrong but she couldn't find it in herself to be afraid. So Sara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Do it.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Cora harshly.

Sara tried to glare over her shoulder, “You heard SAM. There isn’t another option.”

“So within minutes, you go from panicking to suicidal? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Sara ignored her, “Do it SAM.”

“Yes, Pathfinder.”

Her chest constricted painfully, sending tendrils of burning pain through her limbs. Then her eyes closed and she fell into oblivion.

 

She lay suspended in the void as if she were floating in dark space.

“Is this how dying is supposed to feel?” her voice said, echoing in her ears as if her thoughts belonged to someone else.

Images played across her vision like an old movie. Memories that pulled at her heart and branded her soul.

Scott, the day he graduated from Biotics training.

“The smile on his face was so big. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy."

Her father was reaching out to adjust her hands as she held a rifle for the first time.

“Inhale, aim, fire.”

Her crew was laughing and playfully jeering as she purposely failed to reenact a death scene.

“Do you even have a gallbladder?”

Reyes smirking as shadows played across his face. His velvety voice dark as he warned that she would be his death.

“I hope he's wrong.”

 

The world came back in a gasp. Sara choked on the air that burned her throat.

“Oh, thank god,” she heard someone say.

Slowly her faculties returned. Her heartbeat steadied and her breathing regulated.

“I hate dying,” she breathed as she pushed herself from the floor.

“Could have fooled me,” sneered Cora.

Sara glared at her, "You know, you look very comfortable up there.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Cora hissed.

Sara smiled evilly but ultimately shrugged, touching the console that disabled the immobilization field. Jaal and Cora dropped from the air, stumbling a little as they landed on their feet.

“Are you all right?” Jaal asked, his nebular eyes vast in their concern.

Sara nodded, turning away from his sharp gaze to pull her rifle from her back.

“SAM, what was Scott’s last location?”

“His last known location was near the second tether,” SAM replied, already changing the waypoint on her HUD.

Sara nodded, “Okay, then let's find them. After that, we can double back and find the map. Hopefully, it’ll be a while before the Archon realizes we escaped.”

Sara followed the twisted corridors until the sounds of gunfire reached her ears. She glanced at Cora and they both sprinted toward the firefight.

Skidding to a halt in a large open room, Sara was relieved to see Scott, Vetra, and Drack hunkered down behind a barricade, pinned down but still alive.

Smiling, Sara waved her team forward and their sudden assault took both the Kett and team two by surprise.

“What the hell?” she heard Scott exclaim through the local channel.

“Looked like you guys could use some help.”

Drack grunted, “Wouldn't go that far but I'm glad to see you in one piece kid.”

“Yep, I’m alive and just in time to save your ass, old man.”

Drack chuckled.

With the increased firepower, they were able to overtake the remaining Kett easily. As soon as the last one fell, Scott’s eyes landed on Sara. He looked her over, searching for any damage and finding nothing.

“You alright?” he asked finally.

“Yep,” she said with a smile.

His brow furrowed, “But SAM said-“

“SAM says a lot of things but it'll have to wait until later. We still have a map to find."

Sara moved to take point but not before seeing Scott pass Cora a questioning look. Cora shook her head in reply.

When they got back to the Tempest there was going to be hell to pay but the mission came first. It always came first.


	12. Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 10/2/17
> 
> Someone disable my edit button because I can't be trusted with it.

Sara was just about to make the final turn toward the Archon’s Sanctum when the monotonous voice of the Salarian SAM stopped her.

“Pathfinders-”

“PathfindER,” said Scott, “Sara is the only Pathfinder here. Got it?”

Sara raised an eyebrow at him but he wouldn’t look at her.

“He’s been arguing with that thing non-stop,” said Vetra, her sub-vocals giving her words a touch of concern.

“Have not,” said Scott.

“Yes you have,” replied Drack, “just because you did it under your breath doesn’t mean we didn’t hear it.”

“Scott?” asked Sara, her concern mirroring Vetra’s.

“It’s nothing,” said Scott, waving away her worry and regarding the ceiling with an acidic tone, “What did you want SAM?”

“I have made contact with Lumont Hayjer, the Captain of Ark Paarchero. He and thirty-two others are being held captive on one of the lower levels.”

“Great,” said Scott, his voice becoming eager, “let’s go find them.”

“Pathfinder,” said Sara’s SAM, “we are here to find Meridian and it is only a matter of time before the Archon discovers you have escaped his trap.”

Sara sighed, “Scott’s right, SAM. We can’t abandon the Salarians. Not after what we’ve seen.”

Looking to Scott, Sara tried to fill her expression with as much authority as she could. He was her brother but she was the Pathfinder.

“Cora, Vetra, and Drack will find the captives and meet us at the rendezvous.”

He gaped, “What?”

Her silent apology was met with a glare. Averting her eyes, she focused on Cora, “Stay on coms.”

Cora’s smile was both apologetic and grateful, “Got it.”

With a curt nod, Sara turned back toward the sanctum.

“Fall in. Who knows what we’ll find in the Archon’s chamber so be prepared for anything.”

She wasn’t prepared for the chamber to be empty, though it was nice to have SOMETHING go her way for once. The large room was filled with remnant artifacts, each one suspended above a dais as if they meant for worship. Sara brought up her scanner, searching each item for information. As she scanned a rather large piece, SAM told her that it was the equivalent of space junk.

“So, the Archon knows just about as much as we do about this stuff?” asked Sara.

“It is possible but without more information, I can only speculate,” replied SAM.

"Got it."

As they came to a small artifact near the back of the chamber, Sara dismissed her scanner.

“This has to be it,” she said as she looked at the Remnant object, its glowing center calling to her like a beacon.

Without hesitation, Sara lifted her hand to interface with the device. White light twisted around the artifact, etching a picture of a sphere onto the air.

“So that’s what you’re after,” said a familiar haunting voice.

Sara turned to find a hologram of the Archon walking toward her.

“There is more to Meridian than you know,” he said, his voice filled with warning.

Sara sneered, “Says the guy who can’t even turn it on.”

“Neither can you. Not without the Artificial Intelligence in your head.”

The Archon seemed to notice her shock as his eyes turned smug. “Our first tests were informative. I’m sure our next round of experiments will prove equally educational.”

“I won’t be your lab rat,” said Sara, acid dripping from the words.

The Archon looked at her with a bored expression, “Your resistance is admirable but arrogant.” His eyes turned to the image of Meridian, his expression filled with awe. “You are nothing more than a speck of dust in a universe of infinite possibilities.”

When he turned back to her, his eyes were cold, “One day your species will come to understand our divine purpose. At that moment they will welcome exaltation. I sincerely hope you live to see it.”

Sara’s fingers tightened around her rifle, “I can guarantee YOU won’t.”

“We will see,” he said, passing her one last curious look before his hologram disappeared.

Sara let out a long breath, turning toward her squad with a determined glint in her eyes. “Let’s get out of here.”

Then the room shook and the door opened, revealing what could only be described as a monster.

“Oh my god,” said Sara.

“Is that a Krogan?” asked Jaal.

“Not anymore,” said Scott.

Sara aimed, firing a perfectly placed shot at the exposed hide on the exalted Krogan’s throat. That turned out to be a mistake as the monster howled and charged at her. Sara used her booster to dodge backward, sending her team scattering to opposite sides of the room, but the exalted Krogan kept after her, blindly pursuing the person who dared injure it.

Sara was about to be cornered when Jaal decloaked behind the behemoth, sending a knife between its plates. It flailed, catching Jaal in the chest and throwing him into one of the Remnant relics. Angaran curses were the only indication he was mostly uninjured.

“Scott, on me!” said Sara, using Jaal’s distraction to duck behind one of the displays.

Scott slid into cover beside her, his biotics flaring.

“We gotta incinerate it, that’s the only way to counteract its redundant systems,” said Sara breathlessly, “On my mark, I want you to push it off balance so I can get close enough to hit it.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, three-two-one. Go!”

Scott rose from behind cover, hitting the monster with a shockwave that knocked it onto its back. Sara leapt over the cover in a fluid motion, bringing up her omnitoool to throw an incineration ray. It hit its mark, quickly spreading fire over the behemoth’s body.

Unfortunately, it was a short-lived victory.

The exalted Krogan regained its feet despite the searing of its flesh and charged like a freight train toward Sara. When they collided, her shield exploded and sent her flying across the room. She felt the air rush from her lungs as she bounced off the wall to land face-first on the floor. The blood she spit on the floor left a metallic aftertaste on her tongue.

She blinked through the pain, pushing herself back to her feet. She wouldn’t be able to defeat the behemoth with conventional means.

“SAM, switch to sentinel profile.”

“Pathfinder, as previously discussed, the use of this profile may be dangerous.”

“I know SAM, just do it!”

Immediately, Sara’s skin began to vibrate with energy. It was a sensation she had heard Scott describe but had never known first-hand, the feeling of raw power.

Straining, she focused on her surroundings, feeling for the electrical currents around her. The energy surrounded her, gathering around her like a cloud. Pushing off with her feet, she propelled herself across the room so quickly the world turned to a blur. She threw her shoulder forward as she made contact with the behemoth, exploding in a burst of biotic energy that felt like she was turning inside out. The exalted Krogan was pushed backward by the blast, hurtling toward a nearby pillar. It rebounded off the hard surface and came to rest on the ground.

The force of Sara’s hit combined with the remaining embers of her incineration ray to engulf the behemoth in flame. It roared as it was consumed, still attempting to stand until it became a mass of steaming flesh.

With the fight over, Sara wobbled on her feet as pain stabbed at the base of her skull. In an attempt to alleviate the agony, she pulled off her helmet.

Jaal and Scott rushed toward her. Jaal’s eyes darted across her body in search of injuries but Scott focused on Sara’s face, searching for answers.

“Are you all right?” asked Jaal for the second time that day.

Sara nodded, “I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, assuming you didn’t do any permanent damage after a display like that,” said Scott, his voice reprimanding, “especially since you’re NOT a biotic.”

Sara smiled at him weakly, “You caught me. SAM helped.”

“That is not entirely true. While the Pathfinder never displayed enough biotic ability to warrant training, she was born with some biotic potential. I simply enhanced her existing biotic capability.”

“That is quite the distinction,” said Scott sarcastically.

Changing the subject, Sara brought up her coms, “Cora, what’s your status?”

“We found the Salarians but they are heavily guarded. Did you find the map?”

“Yeah, do you need backup?”

There was the sound of a cracking shield and Cora grunted. Sara almost sighed with relief when another shotgun blast followed. Then Vetra came across the coms; her voice filled with horror.

“Holy hell, is that a Krogan?”

All it took was a single glance at Scott and every implicit argument evaporated. Sara took point and they ran toward the other team’s location.

“Cora, we’re on our way,” said Sara, the entirety of her Pathfinder authority behind the statement.

“Negative, head for the rendezvous,” replied Cora before her tone became commanding, “Vetra, Drack, get those civilians to the extraction point. I’ll keep it off us.”

“Don’t be stupid!” said Scott, “We’re on own way, just hold position!”

“We’ll be overrun before you get here.” Cora’s argument was followed by a hiss of pain and the warping sound of biotics.

Their speed increased as they came within view of the final door but before they could reach it the door opened and frightened Salarians flooded into the corridor. Sara's team was forced to skid to a stop as civilians overran them.

They tried to push past the frightened crowd but only emerged in time to see their worst fears realized.

Vetra and Drack backed toward them, protecting the civilians' escape but with Kett quickly flanking them. Ahead of them, Cora was locked in close-quarters combat with an exalted Krogan. Energy blasts rained around the duel as Cora used her biotics to keep the behemoth off balance.

Without hesitation, Sara's team joined the fight but not before the exalted Krogan finally broke through Cora’s biotic shield and backhanded her, sending her flying across the room. The behemoth roared and charged, ready to end Cora even as she tried to push herself from the floor. Dark energy whipped past Sara as Scott charged the giant but where Sara’s charge had knocked the exalted Krogan back, Scott’s tore the monster to pieces.

Sara's attention went to Cora, expecting to lay down cover fire so the woman could dash for cover. Instead, blood erupted into the air.

Instinctually, Sara’s reticle found the shooter. She inhaled and pulled the trigger but the burst of olive blood was unsatisfying. Leaving Sara bloodthirsty as she looked at her brother.

Scott's face remained frozen in horror even as his feet carried him forward. Falling to his knees at Cora’s side, he looked at the hole in her chest. Cora gargled, blood spilling from her lips instead of the words she tried to say, pulling Scott's attention to her face, his stunned expression cracking under the realization of what was happening.

“No,” breathed Scott, his denial barely audible above the surrounding gunfire.

Cora tried to raise her hand but it fell before it reached its destination, her entire body becoming limp. The falling limb became a catalyst, finally shattering Scott’s last shred of disbelief. His hands went to her wound in a futile attempt to stem the blood flow.

"Please, don't- you can't-"

Sara had to tear her eyes from the scene; partly due to the encroaching enemies but also because of the way her brother's grief ripped through her. She had failed him. All she could do now was protect him in his moment of utter devastation, killing any Kett who threatened him.

“Sara, we must leave, reinforcements are inbound,” said SAM on their private channel, his voice soft. SAM's synthetic inflection was meant to be soothing but failed to bring Sara comfort.

Sara ran out of cover and stopped next to Scott. She touched his shoulder in an effort to pull him from his grief, all-the-while keeping the Kett threat at bay with well-placed shots.

“Scott,” she urged when he didn't respond.

He appeared not to hear her, reaching down to grasp Cora’s hand and lift it to his lips.

“Scott, we need to get out of here,” Sara tried again.

He set Cora’s hand back on the floor and looked away. “We can’t leave her here, those Kett bastards can’t-” he said, every word threatening to break him, “We have to-“

"I know," said Sara, her voice gentle.

Nodding, Scott pushed himself to his feet and ran toward the exit.

Sara covered him, jogging backward while firing. Once they’d reached the barricade, Sara waved her omnitool and sent out an incineration ray.

Sara turned away, unable to watch as her friend’s body turned to ash, and continued out of the room with her team on her heels.

On the other side of the doors, no one spoke. They were soldiers and soldiers knew that grief had a time and a place. They had to mourn later or risk being the one mourned.

Later. Always later.


	13. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you following along, make sure you read the edits I made to the previous chapter as I had basically written myself into a corner.

Tann's words were empty in Sara’s ears. The words of a politician. When he commiserated Cora’s “passing” it was almost like the woman had been a faceless drone, not a friend. It made standing the vidcom unbearable.

“Thank you, Director. Your sympathy is appreciated but I’m afraid I must go. I have matters that require my attention,” said Sara, her voice hollow.

“Of course, Pathfinder. We are looking forward to your arrival as we have much to discuss.”

“Goodbye, Director.”

Sara tapped the end button before Tann could stop her. Once the hologram disappeared, Sara braced her arms against the table and let her head hang.

“Bastard,” Sara said under her breath, her anger and grief threatening to destroy her.

“Agreed,” said Hayjer, his mouth pressing into a hard line, “Cora Harper was a hero. She deserves much better than half-hearted condolences.”

At the word “was” Sara felt the last of her steel melt away, leaving her exhausted. Using the last of her strength, she pushed away from the table and forced a grateful smile on her face.

“Thank you, Captain.”

He nodded in reply, before turning away and freeing Sara from any further obligatory politeness.

Sara followed him down the ramp, allowing her feet to lead her until she found herself in the crew’s quarters. Scott was there, sitting alone on the floor with his back up against the wall and his forearms resting lazily on his knees. He stared up at the ceiling as if speaking to an entity only he could see.

It was the last place Sara wanted to be but it was the first place she needed to be.

“I should have been there,” her brother’s voice was a deadly whisper, laced with a mixture of grief and guilt.

Sara looked at her feet as the guilt stabbed at her. She had decided to split them up. Her call. Her fault. “You can’t blame yourself, Scott, we had no idea what the Archon had in store.”

“Is that why you sent her instead of me? Because you didn’t think I could handle it?”

Sara’s head shot up as his questions hit a little too close to the truth. A denial sprung to her throat but was caught behind her guilt, sticking in her mouth.

Her failure to rebuttal sent Scott over the edge, falling into the icy canyon that had formed between them and resurfacing as the embodiment of rage.

“Let me get this straight. You trust SAM, who literally killed you without a second thought, but you don’t trust me?”

Scott’s words stabbed Sara in the chest, leaving her short of breath.

“That’s not true,” she whispered, the argument falling flat.

“Which part?” Scott scoffed, “because the voice in my head couldn’t wait to tell me what happened while you were the Archon’s captive. Apparently, your suicidal tendencies are outside its realm of understanding.”

Sara wanted to explain but all that came out was a strangled monosyllable that left silence in its wake.

“I can’t do this anymore,” he said, his anger visibly draining away, “As soon as we reach the Nexus, I’m resigning from the Pathfinder team.”

Her mouth formed aphonic pleas. Scott couldn’t leave; she couldn’t be the Pathfinder without him.

“Don’t Sara,” he asked as if reading her mind, “I can’t watch another person I love die.”

His words tore through her, leaving a ragged hole in the center of her chest. He was talking about her. He was giving up on her.

The worst part was that she couldn’t blame him. Cora’s death was only the latest in a pattern of kleptomania that had her taking everything from him.

At that moment she knew what she had to do. Without another word she turned around, silently walking away from him.

 

In the safety of her quarters, Sara found herself replaying the memories her father had left behind. The last one she had decrypted played across her vision, letting her experience everything through her father’s eyes.

She’d never known how much he had seen, noticing the secret look she and Scott had shared when he had mentioned how tall they’d become and the way Sara’s eyes had flicked to their mother in warning.

Had their father known what those exchanges meant? How much his thoughtless words had affected his children? How much his decision on Habitat Seven would tear Sara and Scott apart?

They were questions she’d never know the answer to but it didn’t stop them from flitting through her head as she watched the memory fade to white.

“Play it again, SAM.”

“I don’t believe that is wise, Sara,” replied SAM, “That is the twelfth time you’ve watched this memory. I believe continued viewing may cause your dopamine levels to drop below healthy values.”

As if she were pulled back from a dream, Sara could suddenly feel the cool trails on her cheeks. She wiped at her cheeks in frustration, scrubbing away the remnants of her tears.

“Perhaps it would be better to speak to Dr. T’Perro?” offered SAM.

“That won’t help anything,” she whispered, guilt coloring her words. She couldn’t face her crew, not after everything she had done.

SAM’s silence was his argument, leaving Sara with a sense of loneliness that manifested in the unconscious need to connect with something. With someone. A few taps brought up a vid screen and the ringing of an outgoing call.

“Sara,” the breathy pronunciation of her name slid over her like a warm blanket.

“Reyes,” his name was a plea, a hope that he could be the anchor she so desperately needed.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, his smirk disintegrating.

She shook her head as her tears tore at her throat, making her voice dangerous to use.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” she said, more to herself than to him.

He remained silent, patiently waiting for her to explain and with his quiet understanding, the floodgates holding back her grief burst open. Tears seeped into her voice but refused to fall as she recounted her conversation with Scott.

When she finished, Reyes was looking at her with soft eyes.

“Sara, what happened to Cora was unfortunate but it wasn’t your fault. In your position I would have made the same call,” he said, his confidence plain. It wasn’t a platitude; it was a fact.

“I’m sure that isn’t true but thanks,” she said, her voice still low but becoming steadier.

His smirk returned but just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared. Shadows descended on Reyes’ features and his voice went low.

“Scott does make a point though. Death, however temporary, is not an acceptable way to escape a trap.”

She forced a smirk on her face, “You almost sound worried.”

His frown deepened and she could almost see the walls going up around him, “It’s not funny.”

Sara sighed heavily, “No, it's not. I’m sorry.”

Silence fell between them, weighed down by unspoken words.

“Are you going to be alright?” Reyes asked finally.

She averted her gaze, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Pathfinder, we are docking at the Nexus,” said SAM, cutting through the tension like a hot knife.

“Sounds like duty calls,” said Reyes, smirking. His smuggler persona had appeared on the screen, a mask she had forced him into with her ill-conceived words.

“I’ll call you later?” she asked a note of hope to her voice.

“Looking forward to it,” he replied with a disingenuous smile.

She gave him a small smile in return, “Me too.”

Then she hung up and took a deep breath. With a confidence she didn’t feel, she slipped into the shoes of the Pathfinder.

 

After the empty celebrations and the endless congratulations, Sara was almost glad to be in Pathfinder Hall and away from the crowds. That was until Tann walked in with Scott in tow.

“Pathfinder, we have much to discuss,” said Tann as he and the rest of the Nexus leadership gathered around the conference table.

“I’m concerned about your confrontation with the Archon. We are in no position to fight a war,” said Kandros, his words followed by nods from the rest of the Nexus leadership.

Sara stood her ground, ignoring the way her brother passed her a knowing look.

“A fight with the Kett is inevitable. The Archon is already experimenting with ways to exalt us. We have to keep Meridian out of his hands or he’ll use it to destroy us all.”

“According to your reports, it’s likely the Archon doesn’t know any more about this alien technology than we do,” said Kesh, “I hate to say it Ryder, but I don’t think continuing down this path is a smart decision.”

Tann looked at Sara, his large eyes unapologetic, “I agree. I’m sorry Ryder but we cannot afford to commit Nexus resources to an assault on Meridian. We need to focus on solidifying our position in Heleus and only then can we turn our attention toward the study of these alien artifacts.”

“So that’s all there is to it?” asked Sara incredulously.

“I’m afraid so,” replied Tann, “but we do need to discuss the fate of the Salarian A.I. While I appreciate that you did what was required to rescue Ark Paarchero, the SAM must be transferred to a designated Salarian Pathfinder.”

Scott finally spoke up, shocking Sara into silence, “I’m afraid that isn’t an option, Director.”

“Oh?”

“Due to the differences in the implants, my removal from Scott Ryder would likely lead to his death,” said the Salarian SAM.

Every set of eyes turned on Sara.

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Addison.

Sara’s eyes were wide as they turned on Scott but he was glaring in return. What had she done?

“SAM?” she whispered, hoping for an explanation.

He spoke to the congregation as a whole, “My Salarian counterpart is correct. Alec Ryder created more advanced implants for himself and his children that allows for an A.I. to enhance the Pathfinder’s physiology. Even Alec did not fully understand the connection.”

Tann glared at Sara, “That was not within the allowed parameters of the SAM project.”

“Alec Ryder believed that by creating a symbiotic relationship between humans and A.I., it would avoid a situation like that of the Quarian war with the Geth.”

“Pathfinder, did you know about this?” asked Kesh.

Sara looked at the floor and reluctantly nodded.

“And you didn’t think it pertinent to share this information?” asked Kandros, his subvocals vibrating with barely concealed anger.

Sara’s answer was silence.

“We must determine how to proceed with this new information,” said Tann thoughtfully, “Until further notice, you and your crew will be confined to the Nexus.”

Sara gaped, “What?”

Kandros’ mandibles pulled tight to his face, “I’m sorry Ryder but I agree with Tann on this one. How could you withhold information like that?”

“Agreed,” said Kesh, “I’ve never been comfortable with how involved the A.I. was becoming but this is-“

“SAM is the only reason we’ve gotten this far! He’s been making planets viable!” yelled Sara, unable to contain her emotions any longer.

“And we will take that into consideration but for now, we can’t be sure that you’re trustworthy.”

Sara’s fists tightened at her sides, her voice becoming a dangerous whisper and then rising with each sentence until she was yelling again, “You can’t be serious. After everything, we’ve done? You’re willing to let the Archon win just because of SAM? SAM, who has done absolutely nothing wrong?”

Tann glared at her, “You are dismissed, Ryder. We will let you know our decision after we’ve deliberated.”

Narrowing her eyes on Tann, Sara turned on her heel and left the hall with Scott right behind her. Once outside she turned on him.

“What the hell was that all about?” she yelled.

Scott crossed his arms, “They had a right to know. Hell, even I didn’t know how deep your connection to SAM was until now.”

“So you thought it would be better to throw me under the bus? Why didn’t you just talk to me?”

His eyes narrowed, “Because I’m done talking.”

Taken aback by his cold tone, she stood in shocked silence as Scott turned and walked away from her.

Whoever had stood before her a moment ago, it wasn’t her brother. She’d officially lost him.


	14. Renegades

Sara wasn’t thinking straight. The vision of her brother turning his back on her played in her mind over and over, influencing her decisions. She needed to escape, to get away from the emotions that threatened to consume her.

“Everyone, meet me at the vidcom,” said Sara into her omnitool, her voice a monotone.

“Sara, disobeying orders would be unwise,” said SAM in her head.

“Noted,” replied Sara as she climbed the ramp that led to the vidcom. Her fingers drummed on the table as she waited for her crew to trickle in.

“What’s up, Ryder?” asked Vetra as she took in Sara’s blank expression.

“Nexus leadership has grounded us. Meanwhile, the Archon gets closer to unlocking Meridian. We can’t let that happen, so I plan on completing the mission. Nexus be damned. Any who want to stay behind can, no hard feelings.”

They all looked at each other in puzzlement, searching for confirmation of Sara's words but only Vetra spoke up.

“They grounded you because you kept SAM’s capabilities a secret,” Sara looked at her through narrowed eyes but the Turian held her gaze, “I’m with you but everyone deserves to know the truth. After all, we’ll likely be exiled after this.”

Sara nodded her agreement, scanning her crew with dark eyes, “Yes, the Nexus leadership believe SAM's not trustworthy but we all know that he is not a threat.”

“Do we?” asked Lexi, her voice filled with careful control, “He stopped your heart, Sara. Surely you understand how dangerous that is.”

While Lexi held Sara’s gaze, the others looked away awkwardly.

Sara sighed, “Look, I trust SAM. I permitted him to stop my heart to disable that trap. Take that how you want but it was MY decision.”

Lexi sighed in frustration but said no more, allowing the others to form their own opinions. After a while they all looked up, meeting Sara’s gaze one by one.

Drack was the first to nod, his mouth pulling into a menacing smile.

“After all the shit we’ve been through, after everything you’ve done for the Krogan, I’m not going to leave now.”

Sara found herself smiling back in thanks before turning to Vetra. Her mandibles pulled tight but she nodded anyway.

“I’m with you, Sara,” said Jaal, his large eyes knowing.

Peebee was her usual nonchalant self. It wasn’t about loyalty; it was about learning about the Remnant. Everyone gave Peebee a knowing smile but didn’t argue.

Sara turned her gaze to Liam who was already grinning infectiously. “Like you even have to ask.”

On the opposite side of the table stood Kallo, Suvi, and Gil. When Sara looked at them, she only found soft smiles on their faces.

“We’re with you,” said Suvi softly, speaking for both herself and Kallo.

“Yeah, you couldn’t do this without us,” said Gil with a chuckle.

Sara gave the three a warm smile before she turned to Lexi, who had yet to voice her allegiance.

Under the scrutiny of the entire crew, Lexi let out an exasperated breath and let her eyes sweep the room.

“You’re all insane but I’m with you either way,” she said.

“You know you love us, Doc,” said Liam with a laugh, “just admit it.”

Lexi smirked at him, “Don’t let it go to your head, Kosta.”

Sara’s smile turned grateful, “Thank you. All of you.”

At her thanks the air in the room changed, the warmth replaced with a sense of purpose.

Gil leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table, “Shouldn’t be hard to disable the lockdown but the moment I hack the docking protocols, the Nexus will be alerted. We’ll have to boogie.”

“Leave that to me,” said Kallo.

“I can also grease a few palms, make sure we’re out of the system before Tann even knows what happened,” offered Vetra.

Sara pushed away from the console, “Sound’s like a plan. Let’s do it.”

They all nodded, breaking away to prepare.

Suddenly Sara didn’t feel so alone. The hole Cora and Scott had left was still present, hanging over the proceedings like a shadow, but they were still a family. Unbreakable.

 

Meridian was not what Sara had expected. When the map had shown a sphere, she had assumed they would find a planet. Instead, they saw a floating city.

Two towers, similar to the monoliths, rose above the rest of the buildings near the heart of the structure. Suvi had said that they were the key to powering the main console but getting to the top of them had been a challenge, especially with Kett fighting them every step of the way. Luckily Liam and Drack had her back, Kett falling like dominos in their path.

In no time they were following a waypoint toward the main control console.

“This has to be it!” said Sara when she caught sight of the massive console at the center of the structure.

Liam and Drack dispatched the final Kett forces as Sara interfaced with the system. Light twisted through the air to form Remnant symbols.

“Translating,” said SAM.

“Well, hurry it up,” said Drack, “before reinforcements arrive.”

“Connection lost, Meridian Engine not found.”

“What do you mean ‘not found’?” asked Liam, anger slipping into his tone.

“One moment,” replied SAM before an alien voice sounded from the console. After it had finished, SAM translated, “Final Administrator Log: The opposition’s weapon may cause widespread damage. We must disengage Meridian from the command core, which will remain here to draw fire, and then we will then send it far away. Maybe we will return one day and restart the process of renewal. Until then, this is for the best. End of log.”

Sara cursed, “This isn’t Meridian. Meridian is gone.”

“Maybe we could find it?” asked Liam suddenly optimistic.

“There are no records of a location or potential flight path. The point was to protect Meridian by erasing all knowledge of its whereabouts,” said SAM.

Sara scoffed, “No wonder. The Jardaan were at war. If their enemy was evil enough to deploy a weapon like the scourge, then there is no telling what they would have done with Meridian.”

Just when Sara was sure things couldn’t get any worse, the ground began to quake.

“Pathfinder, the Kett are firing on the station!” said Kallo into the coms.

“Shit!” exclaimed Sara as a ship to surface laser cut across the city sprawled out before her.

“Sara, Jardaan defenses are still online.”

The A.I. didn’t need to explain any further as Sara immediately began interfacing with the central control console.

As the pattern shifted, Sara smiled evilly, “Let’s give them hell.”

Turrets emerged across the city, all fire focusing on the Kett dreadnought. Explosions ripped across the ship’s hull, venting unwitting soldiers into the atmosphere. It didn’t take long before the Kett reversed course, making the jump to FTL.

“The Kett are retreating!” exclaimed Kallo.

“About damn time something worked out in our favor,” replied Sara, grinning at the fleeing remains of the Kett fleet.

“Well, then you’ll love what I’ve found,” said Suvi excitedly, “I think I know how we can find Meridian.

“I believe we could simulate Meridian’s path using information from the tower by overlaying our most recent scourge and probe data.”

“What do you need?” asked Sara, hardly able to control her relief.

“We must interface with the central command console once more so that I can transmit pertinent data to Dr. Anwar,” replied SAM.

“Got it.”

Sara moved to touch the console a third time, only instead of light twisting to become letters, it formed a sphere similar to the one seen on the map.

“Do you have coordinates, Suvi?”

“Uh…Yes! I got it!”

Sara hooted with triumph, “Finally!”

Smiling, Liam stepped forward to get a closer look at the hologram, “What the hell? It says it’s hollow.”

“It is a self-contained seed world. Once reconnected with the control structure, all of the vaults will be affected.”

Sara smiled at her companions, “We’ll have the means to make Heleus a home.”

“Congratulations Pathfinder. You’ve accomplished more than I ever expected but your usefulness has reached its end. All I need now is your implant and then I will be able to complete my purpose.”

The haunting words that echoed through her head turned Sara’s blood to ice, the Archon’s voice was becoming far too familiar for her liking.

“Good luck with that,” she sneered but the Archon seemed unable to hear her.

“Unfortunately, you will be sacrificed for the greater good. Eos will be the first planet exalted in your honor.”

Sara’s ears began to ring and her skull felt like it was exploding. Stars erupted in her vision as she lost control of her body and she fell to her knees. The last thing she heard was a scream as the fire burned through her nervous system, the agony sending her into oblivion.

 

“And you’re sure you have no idea where she could have gone?” asked Kandros.

“For the billionth time, NO,” replied Scott, his anger seeping into his words.

At least Kandros seemed just as concerned as Scott was, “I’m sorry, it’s just that Sara’s in a lot of trouble.”

“Of that, I’m well aware,” replied Scott, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Kandros spoke once more but Scott couldn’t hear him. It was like he was hit with a concussion grenade, his ears ringing and vision turning blurry. Next thing he knew he was walking away from the Turian, his feet moving of their own volition. Kandros tried to pull him to a stop but Scott pulled away and kept running.

He couldn’t stop. He wasn’t in control.

Kandros trailed after him, following him all the way to the SAM Node on the Hyperion.

“Scott?” asked Sara’s SAM, synthetic surprise imbuing his name with a strange quality.

“What the hell is going on, SAM? It’s like he’s lost his mind,” said Kandros.

“I do not know,” replied SAM.

Scott’s hands moved to touch the console and Kandros stepped forward, trying to stop him. Scott could only watch as his hands fisted and he laid the Turian out with a sucker punch. When his hands returned to the console, he realized that whatever had control of his body was opening a backdoor into SAM’s programming.

“Scott,” said SAM, his mechanical voice soft and almost pleading, “If you do this, Sara will die.”

At his warning, Scott went into overdrive. He tried to push against the confines of his mind, desperately trying to regain control of something so that he could stop what was happening.

“It is useless to fight, Ryder,” said the voice of the Salarian A.I. and Scott finally understood the gravity of the situation. He was being used, they all were.

His anger rose, turning his world blue. He felt the dark energy amassing around him and Scott knew just what to do with it. Using his mind to push outward, he sent his body reeling backward. He skidded across the floor but it was enough to stop the Salarian SAM from continuing the hack.

A sharp pain ripped through Scott’s head, making the room spin. It felt like it lasted an eternity but eventually, the pain stopped and Scott was left to stare up at the ceiling. Slowly, he attempted to stretch his fingers and was glad when they responded. He was back in control.

Hissing, he pushed himself from the floor and stumbled toward the SAM console. SAM’s blue mass was shifting so erratically that he appeared to be shivering. Scott might not know much about what was happening, but he knew that probably wasn’t right.

“SAM?”

“Scott, I need your help,” replied the A.I.

“Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“I need you to make your way to the bridge. Quickly.”

Scott was already moving, even as he asked, “What for?”

“My Salarian counterpart had been hacked by the Archon and embedded with a sleeper agent subroutine. Originally it was meant to infiltrate the Nexus’ security protocols but when the Archon discovered that he could control your physiology, he manipulated you in order to isolate you from Sara.”

Scott turned the corner, quickly making his way down the twisting halls.

“I have quarantined the Salarian SAM but not before it was able to break my connection to the Pathfinder so unless we can get to the bridge and reset her implant, Sara will die.”

Scott continued toward the bridge once more but there was anger to his movements that hadn’t been there before.

“What aren’t you telling me, SAM?” he asked finally.

There was a short pause before SAM spoke, “Once we reset Sara’s implant, the Archon will have access to my systems.”

Scott gaped, “SAM, no. If he does that, he’ll be able to access Meridian.”

“Not without an implant but unfortunately he is converging on your sister’s location. There is only one course of action that will save Sara’s life. We must make it impossible for me to reconnect to Sara’s implant.”

Scott sighed, immediately knowing where the conversation was going. He typed the final command that would hard reset Sara’s implant and release SAM’s hold on her system.

“Do it, SAM,” he whispered.

“Are you sure, Scott? Once I integrate into your implant, the Archon will come looking for us.”

“No but I don’t have much of a choice, she’s my sister.”

“Understood,” said SAM and a moment later a sharp pain announced SAM’s arrival in his head.

“SAM?” asked Scott, trepidation in his voice.

“Yes Scott?” said the A.I. his muted voice signifying that he was communicating on the private channel.

“Find me a shuttle. If I’m going to be bait, I’m not going to put the people on the Nexus in harm’s way.”

“There is a shuttle being prepared at the main docking area,” replied SAM a mere second later.

Scott turned on his heel, running toward his destination. He didn’t know how long he had but he was going to use every second to his advantage.


	15. Human

Sara awoke with a gasp, the sensation far too similar to her experience on the Archon’s ship. Except that she felt utterly exhausted, her limbs like lead.

“Oh, thank god,” she heard Liam say, his relief palpable.

“Shit, Ryder, we thought you were dead. Permanently this time,” said Drack, a misplaced laugh speaking to his hidden fear.

She couldn't worry about that now. Not if the Archon was doing what she thought he was doing.

Pushing herself to her feet, she stumbled as her legs refused to carry her but Liam caught her.

“Take it easy,” he warned.

“No,” she said through clenched teeth as pain seared through her muscles, “we have to save him.”

“Save who?” asked Drack.

“Scott,” she replied, her voice breaking.

Pushing Liam away, she stumbled toward the Remnant console. She fell against it and let it hold her weight as she began to shiver. With a deep breath, she touched the interface only to have a familiar pain burn through her body. The same pain she had experienced on Habitat Seven.

Crying out, she pulled her hand back.

“What is going on?” Liam asked his voice pitched with worry.

She pulled in harsh breaths, barely able to keep herself upright, “The Archon, he broke my connection to SAM. He's going to use him to unlock Meridian.”

“Wait,” said Drack, "that door is Remnant, you can't open it without SAM.”

Sara ignored him, steeling herself once more to touch the console. The pain came back, more intense than before but this time the interface began to shift and the door started to crack before the agony nearly brought her to her knees.

“SARA! You have to stop!” said Liam, moving to pull her from the console.

“No, we have to stop the Archon!” She pushed Liam away and touched the console once more, this time refusing to pull away until the door opened completely.

With success came the most intense pain she had felt in her life. It tore her to pieces and sent her to her hands and knees. She felt something wet slide down her face and she reached up to find blood draining from her nose.

She wiped it away before forcing herself back to her feet. Liam helped, catching her when her legs threatened to betray her once again.

“…Try it now,” came Gil’s voice over the coms.

“Tempest to ground team,” said Kallo.

“We’re here,” said Liam, his deep eyes focused on Sara, “Get Lexi. Sara is- well she doesn’t look good.”

Sara allowed Liam to be her anchor as they made their way to the Tempest until she finally regained enough strength to move on her own.

“Sara?” her brother’s voice on a private channel stopped Sara in her tracks.

“Scott?”

“Yeah, I’m about to be captured by the Archon but I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For everything.”

Sara gaped. "No," she whispered before a painful shake of her head brought her back to herself, “Scott, don’t talk like that. Give me your coordinates-”

“You won’t get here in time but you can still stop the Archon. Find Meridian.”

A click told her that the line had been cut.

“Scott! SAM!” she yelled.

There was no answer.

"What's happening?" asked Liam.

“We have to get to Meridian,” said Sara, determination leading her to push Liam away so that she could walk on her own two feet. Liam looked as if he were about to protest but thought better of it.

“The Hyperion says that the SAM Node is lit up like Christmas but they can’t talk to him,” said Suvi quietly.

“We’re getting reports that all remaining Kett ships are on the move,” said Kallo.

“It’s the Archon. If he takes Meridian he’s going to exalt the entire cluster, starting with Eos,” replied Sara, pushing herself forward faster until she emerged at the landing zone.

The relief at seeing the Tempest was short lived as her crew ran from the cargo bay to meet her.

Lexi was at the front, pulling up her omnitool as soon as she reached Sara. What Lexi saw on her scan made her eyes go wide.

“Sara you have to stop this,” she warned.

“That isn't an option,” said Sara, waving away the doctor’s concern and continuing toward the ship.

“Why not? What are we supposed to do?” asked Vetra, becoming the voice of reason.

“Easy,” replied Peebee angrily, “Find Meridian, kill jerk.”

“How? The Tempest is one ship and she isn’t even armed,” replied Vetra.

“Yeah, but how many thousand worlds burn if the Archon gets his hands on Meridian?” asked Drack.

“Damnit!” growled Sara, “Vetra’s right, we’re outgunned but we have to-“

She stopped short as she noticed a Remnant console across the platform. Small glowing words told her it would control offensive structures. Since when could she read Remnant? Not that the answer mattered at that moment. She had to save Scott. She had to save everyone.

She moved toward the console, all eyes following her as she did. Before they realized what she was doing, she had touched the console. She gritted her teeth past the pain, keeping her focus on what she wanted to do. She needed firepower and lots of it.

Remnant ships, glowing orange in the waning light, floated up from the surface of the structure. They were awaiting her command.

She felt blood dripping from her nose for the second time but she quickly wiped it away before anyone noticed.

“That’s impossible,” whispered Peebee.

“Kett are tough but Remnant hit hard,” said Drack with a nod, his deep eyes filled with pride.

“Yes,” said Jaal in awe, “seeing this could inspire others to join the fight.”

“Definitely,” agreed Liam, “Rally the troops. We aren’t alone in this.”

Lexi stepped forward, pinning Sara with a look filled with concern and resolve, “That’s a wonderful sentiment but you can’t keep this up. It’s literally killing you.”

Sara had to tramp down her sudden fear at Lexi's words, putting on a brave face and filling her voice with confidence for her crew's benefit, “All that matters right now is stopping the Archon. He has Scott and SAM, which means we are out of time.”

Lexi sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, “Are you sure about this?”

Sara tried to smile, “Absolutely not but I don’t see another option.”

“Then I’ll do what I can to keep you on your feet," replied the doctor, her resolve falling away to reveal raw fear, "The come down will likely hurt- badly.”

“Thanks, Lexi.”

Lexi took a fortifying breath, “Don’t thank me because I’m very much against this but with everything at stake I can understand the necessity. Make it count.”

Sara nodded and looked at each of her crew in turn, “I've raised a fleet so put out a call and invite the cluster to help send the Archon to hell.”

“You got it,” replied Liam, already marching toward the Tempest.

The rest nodded in agreeance before following on Liam’s heels. Lexi was the only one left, turning her sad eyes on Sara before climbing up the ramp.

Balling her shaking hands into fists, Sara promised herself this wasn't the last stand. There was too much to live for.

 

Aboard the Tempest, Sara felt her resolve growing with every report. The Resistance, the colonies, and New Tuchanka had all pledged their support. There was only one group left to coordinate and it was a conversation she had to handle personally.

A holographic Reyes appeared before her, his hair disheveled as if he'd been running his hands through it.

“Sara,” he said, concern touching his voice before he hid it behind an arrogant tone, "I've mustered the Collective. We'll be there to help in your fight."

She smiled weakly, “Thanks, Reyes.”

“So tell me, what’s the plan?” he asked. His tone was light but his flirtatious expression was out of place like it didn't fit him anymore.

She shrugged, “It’s pretty simple; Get to Meridian, rescue Scott, kill the Archon.”

“That’s not a plan, that’s blind optimism,” he said, his teasing tone belied by the way his smirk dissolved.

She tried to reassure him with a smile but the attempt exhausted her, “Well, we can’t all be master tacticians.”

Reyes looked away but when his gaze returned to hers, there was a new fire there that burned right through the vidcom to consume her.

“We are allies, Sara. I’m always at your service. All you have to do is ask." His words were laced with double meaning, conviction and hope mixing in his voice to convey a sentiment she would have never expected from him.

Sara stared at his image and tried to speak, to put a voice to the words she was afraid of. In the end, all she managed was to whisper his name in a way that sounded like a wish. A wish she never expected to be fulfilled. Not with everything that was happening.

“Don’t Sara,” he said, absolving her in the same moment he pinned her with knowing eyes, “because I expect to be personally compensated when this is all over.”

His flirtatious smirk returned, forced onto his face by the gravity of their implied confessions, “You are responsible for a lot of distracting flashbacks to a certain cave, after all, so I think I’m due some restitution.”

“Done,” she agreed.

“Good. Now go save the cluster, I’ll be right behind you.”

With a confident nod, she let the call end. Suddenly the future seemed far more tangible than it had before as a fourth step was added to her plan. Go to Meridian, save Scott, kill jerk, kiss Reyes Vidal. In that order.


	16. Driven

The Archon’s fleet was both adept and vicious as they swept between the ships, dodging the Remnant and targeting the Resistance and Collective. It was all made more difficult by the Scourge, which hindered the movements of the fighters and made them easy targets.

“We’re between a rock and a hard place, Pathfinder,” said Kallo as he dodged yet another Kett fighter.

His words niggled in Sara’s brain, pulling a ridiculous strategy from the ether.

“The Scourge targets Remnant, right?” she asked no one in particular.

“From what we’ve seen,” said Suvi with a curiosity to her voice.

Sara nodded and turned to Kallo, “How closely can you skirt the Scourge?”

Kallo looked at her as if she were crazy, “Uh, too close? Why?”

“Its time the Scourge started working for us,” she commanded, “Get as close as you can and trust me.”

Kallo wasn’t convinced but followed the order. Sara narrowed her eyes, focusing on the makeshift Remnant console Peebee had hardwired into the Tempest Bridge. She touched the interface, typing in a command that tied the Remnant ships to the Tempest’s flight path. The pulsing pain behind her eyes indicated the order was sent.

As she hoped, the Remnant began dragging the Scourge. It became a weapon, making it impossible for the Kett fighters to maneuver while the Resistance and Collective hugged the Remnant and provided covering fire.

“Stars! I’ve never been so glad to see that stuff!” exclaimed a Resistance pilot over the open coms.

“The window’s open, Pathfinder,” said a Collective pilot, “Give the Archon hell!”

“Got it,” she said before touching the interface once more and ordering the Remnant ships to form a blockade around the Kett.

Sara searched the chaotic space outside the window, finding the Archon’s flagship behind a line of frigates.

“There he is!” she said, pointing toward the ship. With deft movements, Kallo steered the Tempest through the incessant gunfire.

“You’ve made a dangerous decision, Pathfinder,” warned the Archon as his face appeared on the bridge’s vid screen.

“No, this cluster fuck is all you,” replied Sara darkly.

The Archon seemed to regard her with curiosity before stepping aside to reveal Scott. He was tied to a chair looking utterly exhausted.

“Scott! Are you alright?”

He looked at her with a smirk, “No. I swear, one more monologue and I think I’m gonna lose it.”

She tried to smile, “Don’t worry Scott, I’ll be there soon.”

“A useless sentiment,” said the Archon, his vibrating voice filled with annoyance as he turned away, “I have the means to achieve what I was always meant to accomplish.” He waved his hand and a floating device moved toward Scott, “Don’t you understand? Divinity brought you across dark space for a reason. Unfortunately, that divine purpose will be your demise.”

The small device began emitting an orange light across Scott’s face, and he contorted in pain.

“SCOTT!” Sara yelled at the screen.

The Archon waved again, and the light grew brighter until Scott cried out.

“You leave him alone you son of a bitch!”

The Archon looked at her over his shoulder, “He took your place Pathfinder. It was his destiny to save you. Honor his sacrifice.”

“I’m going to send you to hell personally if you don’t let him go,” she hissed, a promise made to the crescendo of her brother’s screams.

“You are welcome to try, Pathfinder.”

Just then the sphere of Meridian opened up, and the hovering device backed away, leaving Scott panting.

The video feed cut out as the Archon’s ship dove through the opening.

“Stay on them, Kallo,” ordered Sara.

The Tempest dove, hot on the tail of the flagship. Gravity shifted, throwing the crew forward as Kallo changed trajectory, bringing forth a view of lush forests both above and below the ship.

“Suvi?” Sara asked, unable to keep the awe from her voice.

“I see it,” replied Suvi, “I’m no SAM, but the readings say this environment is a complete ecosystem, perfectly self-sustaining.”

As she scanned her surroundings, Sara quickly found the Archon’s ship just as three smaller vessels broke off. Then the flagship turned and like thousands of bees, Kett fighters swarmed out of the vessel's launch bays to create a barricade between the Tempest and its goal.

“Kallo? Did you see where those smaller ships went?” asked Sara.

“Yes, but we can’t follow it. Those fighters will shred the Tempest before we even get close.”

“Then get as close as you can,” she replied before touching the intercom, “Drack, Peebee, meet me in the cargo bay. Be ready for a combat drop.”

Kallo nodded, boosting the Tempest forward, expertly dodging fire as he skirted the treetops.


	17. Forward

Throwing the Nomad into gear, Sara drove the vehicle right off the still-moving Tempest to land in a small clearing. Without hesitating, she hit the gas and sped down the ravine.

“There is a large structure ahead of you, Pathfinder. I bet that is where the Archon is headed,” said Suvi through the com.

“Roger that,” said Sara, quickly tapping her omnitool to input a waypoint before shiffting into high gear.

The Nomad swerved violently as weapons fire dotted the landscape around them.

“Shit!” said Sara as she tried to dodge the firing path of a second fighter above.

Then, as if by miracle, the next incoming fighter exploded and crashed into the ground.

A brown-painted and heavily modified shuttle swooped low overhead, flying in formation with a contingent of resistance fighters and one Nexus shuttle.

“Pathfinder, we’ve got you covered.”

“Kandros? I thought the Nexus wasn't going to help?” asked Sara.

“Tann can go to hell. I owe Scott a punch in the face.”

Sara guffawed, “Who else is with you?”

“The Resistance Blue Squadron,” said an unfamiliar female Angara.

“And you know I can’t resist a party,” said Reyes with a laugh to his voice, “especially when I have an invitation.”

“Form up and keep those fighters busy,” said Kandros as the ships broke off to engage, "You do what you do best, Ryder."

“Be careful,” she warned as she watched Reyes’ shuttle narrowly dodge the fire from a Kett fighter.

Shaking her head, Sara pushed her worry to the back of her mind. She had to find Scott.

Gunning the engine, she crested the hill that led into a small valley. At the center of the valley was a vault complex with three Kett shuttles parked in front. The nomad slid to a stop at the front door but before Sara and her team could bail out Kett drop ships surrounded them. Kett soldiers rained down around the vehicle.

Reyes’ shuttle flew in low, spraying projectiles around the Nomad and killing dozens of Kett before coming to hover farther back from Sara’s position. Reyes and a few Collective mercs dropped from the shuttle, ready to fight off the encroaching ground troops.

“We’ll keep them busy.”

“Reyes-“

She could almost see his smirk as he cut her off, “Don’t worry. I live for adventure. Or whatever this is.”

She would have laughed if it weren’t for the way her heart rate spiked.

“Thanks,” was all she managed.

“Go, find your brother.”

With a nod he couldn’t see, she jumped out of the Nomad with her rifle at the ready and ran toward the structure, taking down Kett as she moved.

Inside the complex was a series of maze-like hallways.

“How are we gonna find the Archon in this mess?” asked Peebee.

Just then, a pair of observers emerged and took up posts on either side of a large door. Their tentacles shifted, pointing toward the threshold.

“What the hell?” exclaimed Peebee.

“I’ve never seen Remnant act like that but look at their color. They’re green instead of orange, like the ones you were able to control. Like POC," said Sara.

“Should we follow it?”

“You got a better idea?”

“Nope. Following the murderous robots, it is.”

Sara watched the observers skeptically as she followed the remenants' directions. In the next hall, another observer was pointing down a second passage.

“They’re definitely leading us somewhere,” said Sara as she continued to follow the path laid out by the bots.

“Hope it isn’t into a trap,” said Drack.

“Yeah, let’s hope.”

At the final turn, the team came upon a long bridge with a large door on the opposite end.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

Sara crossed the bridge in double time, as Scott’s anguished voice echoed through the complex.

She opened the door and found herself in a massive room. In the center was a step-pyramid structure with a thick beam of blue light on top. In front of the beam stood the Archon. He was in a position of prayer, his eyes closed while his minions strapped metal-ecased wires to his back.

Beside the Archon, Scott was held suspended by an orange stasis field. The floating device from the vid call hovered in front of him, emitting a white light that swept his features. Every time the light touched his skin, Scott would try to pull away, his face contorting in pain as if it was burning him.

“SCOTT!”

The white light was extinguished and the device floated away, leaving Scott weak but able to speak.

“Hey, Sara. I see you found my clues.” He tried to smile, but the effort proved painful.

“Sure did,” she said, “Now lets get you out of there.”

The Archon finally opened his eyes to pin Scott with a glare, “Your efforts were valiant but ultimately wasted.”

The final cable was attached to the Archon and his eyes began to glow blue. He stared into the ether; looking at something only he could see.

“Meridian,” he said in awe, “It is more beautiful than I could have imagined.”

The Archon began to floated from the ground, raised above them by some unknown force.

“I see now why you have come Pathfinder. You were meant to fall before this altar, sacrificed to my glory. The final test of my worth.”

The Archon raised his arms, and an Architect emerged from the ground, its body built before their eyes from pieces of remnant tech around the room. The creature roared as it positioned itself between Sara and the Archon, ready to defend its new master.

Sara ran for cover, turning on the team channel once she had found sanctuary.

“Alright guys, this isn’t anything we haven’t done before. Hit the weak points when their exposed and keep an eye out for observers.”

“We’re with you, Pathfinder,” replied Drack.

“Kinda too late to back out now,” said Peebee, a nervous laugh in her voice.

Sara peaked around her shelter to find the Architect’s leg joints were exposed as it moved to stop Peebee from flanking.

Sara rose, inhaled, aimed, and fired a perfect shot into the neon pink joint. The Architect staggered as it compensated for the loss of one of its limbs.

Drack emerged to fire a few random shots at the metal monster’s head, pulling its attention.

Again the Architect shifted to focus on Drack, exposing another joint. Sara took the shot, leaving it with only one leg to stand on. It staggered once more, balancing on its final leg to take aim at Sara. It threw everything it had at her, causing her cover to crumble. She rolled to the next barricade and switched to her assault rifle.

“Take out the last one,” she ordered before rising from cover to spray the Architect with a barrage of fire. The creature doubled its efforts against her, bringing down her shields as observers converged on her location.

Then a metallic roar reverberated through the chamber and the Architect fell. A quick glance confirmed Peebee had taken the kill shot.

“Sara.”

“SAM?”

“Yes, Sara. Your defeat of the Architect has allowed me a moment to access your implant. If you interface with the Architect, you can eject the Archon from the system.”

“I sense a ‘but,'” replied Sara sarcastically.

“I will not be able to assist you during the interface. It is likely that the effort required to eject the Archon will kill you.”

“Is there any other way?”

“Scott could attempt to do the same by interfacing with the central console, but given his weakened state, he would not survive the process either.”

“Then I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

Sara took a deep breath before pushing herself to her feet, taking down observers on her way to the Architect’s mouth.

Reaching out, she interfaced with the creature.

Blue light swirled across her vision, building circuits upon circuits until a mass of complicated tendrils formed, similar in form to a mapped neural network.

Or a SAM.

“SAM?”

“Yes, Sara?”

“What am I seeing?”

“You are connected to Meridian. You are seeing the network.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.”

A section of the network turned red, a blood stain upon the purity of the system.

Sara reached out and found she could touch the red tendrils. Once she did, they shattered. She heard a deep, vibrating, yell of agony before the tendrils were rebuilt in blue.

“You have done it, Pathfinder. The Archon is no more and I am free.”

“Thank you, SAM.”

“No, thank you, Sara.”


	18. Torn

The Archon disintegrated into ash, his metal cords falling lifelessly across his remains but Scott took no satosfaction from the villain's demise. Instead, Scott's eyes remained glued to Sara as she stood before the Architect. Her pale form was like a statue, her outstretched arm and glassy eyes unnaturally still.

He didn’t even see Peebee disable the stasis field until he fell to the floor but hitting the ground did little to keep him from his sister.

“Sara?” he asked hesitantly, noting the blood that dripped from her nose and ears.

When she didn’t respond, he grabbed her by the upper arms and shook her violently.

She blinked, her eyes coming to focus on him.

“Scott,” she murmured, a smile pulling at her lips. Then her eyes rolled back into her skull. He caught her as she fell, lifting her into his arms.

“SAM?” asked Scott, his voice filled with terror, “What’s going on?”

“Sara’s brain couldn’t handle a direct connection to the Meridian system. I’m doing what I can, but to stop further damage I was forced to render her unconscious.”

“You can do that?” asked Scott.

“Due to my interaction with Meridian, my abilities have expanded. I can now interact with you and Sara simultaneously. I'm doing what I can but Sara needs medical attention.”

Scott looked up at Peebee and Drack.

“Call Lexi. Tell her to prep the Medbay,” he ordered.

Peebee didn’t hesitate in pulling up her omnitool while Drack stepped forward.

“Give her here. I can move faster with her.”

Scott thought about arguing, but the glistening in Drack’s eyes had him handing Sara over and jogging toward the exit.

 

As they emerged from the vault, the ground team was met with a sea of concerned faces. Lexi rushed forward, her omnitool at the ready while the others stood back and watched the scene in silence. At the forefront was the Tempest crew and from among them Reyes emerged to look upon the scene. His wide eyes betrayed his fears to everyone present but he didn't seem to care, his focus wholly on Sara's unconscious form.

“We need to get her to the medbay. If I don’t operate immediately-“

Lexi didn’t need to finish the sentence before the sea of onlookers parted, allowing Drack a direct path to the ship. Lexi jogged beside the swiftly moving Krogan with Scott and Reyes right on her heels. The rest of the Tempest crew followed closely behind, each of them determined to do what they could for their Pathfinder.

As soon as they cleared the ramp, Lexi said, “Kallo, get to the Nexus as quickly as you can.”

Kallo sprinted past the procession and headed to the bridge with Suvi right behind him. Drack continued into the medbay and laid Sara on one of the beds. He seemed reluctant to leave her side but finally tore himself away when Lexi touched his arm.

There was a stillness as the doors slid closed, isolating Sara and Lexi from the concerned crew. For a moment everyone was still but eventually, one-by-one, they dispersed to throw themselves into their duties. At last, Scott and Reyes were the only ones left in the corridor. They glanced at each other, silently confirming that they had a right to post up outside the medbay, before allowing the exhaustion of the battle to consume them. They each found walls to lean against, Scott going so far as to sit on the floor when his legs proved unsteady.

It could have been hours or merely minutes before Reyes asked, “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

Scott’s mouth opened and immediately snapped shut, a sigh replacing his unspoken platitude, “Yes.”

For a moment Reyes almost seemed relieved by the news until he frowned, his concern sharpening his features.

“Lexi’s the best,” offered Scott, not sure who he was reassuring.

Reyes met Scott’s eyes, his iris' having turned to obsidian, “Not to discount Lexi’s abilities but if anyone could get through this its Sara.”

Scott found himself smiling at the heat and confidence in Reyes’ words.

“True. No one is quite as stubborn as Sara, though I’m sure you give her a run for her money.”

Reyes smiled back, though the expression was tinged with gloom, “I never stood a chance.”

Suddenly the Medbay door opened, and both men came to attention.

Lexi refused to look up from the floor, her expression telling the two men more than they wanted to know.

SAM spoke in her stead when the silence began to stretch, “Dr. T’Perro was able to alleviate the pressure on Sara’s brain, but the absence of Delta brainwaves means we do not know when, or if, she will wake.”

Scott closed his eyes against the news, denial bubbling on the surface. He couldn’t lose Sara. She was all he had left.

“Can I see her?” he croaked.

Lexi nodded.

Stiffly Scott walked into the medbay to find Sara lying on the bed. If not for the bandages wrapped around her head, he would have believed she was only asleep.

He reached out and touched her hand, the relief at finding it warm smothered by the breaking of his heart. Tears flooded into his eyes as he begged her to wake up.

Reyes stood in the doorway, his face blank as he watched the scene. Shadows settled across his features, casting him in the umbra of his disbelief. If Sara was gone, so was his heart. No one could save him now.


	19. Epilogue

“We offer our condolences and wish your sister a speedy recovery. The Initiative made great strides thanks to Sara. We all owe her a debt that we won’t soon be able to repay,” Scott listened to Tann’s empty words, waiting for the inevitable-

“-But-”

Scott groaned at the word, hating it more than any other word in known space.

“-We need to secure our future. With Meridian, the golden worlds are thriving which means it is time to establish a real working government in Heleus. As acting Pathfinder, you are left to choose someone to be interim ambassador while the people decide who they would like to represent them.

“Bradley,” Scott said without hesitation, “He’s a proven leader, and the voice of the Initiative belongs with the colonies.”

“Not who I would have chosen-“ began Tann but Kesh quickly cut him off.

“But he is a good choice none-the-less.”

Scott nodded, “Alright if we’re finished, I have things to do.”

“Where are you going?” asked Kandros, a strange sound to his subvocals.

“To the Tempest.”

Tann’s eyes twitched, “While we have declared you interim Pathfinder, until we unlock the secrets behind Meridian there is nothing more for you to do. If I may, I would suggest you remain on the Nexus and assist in supporting the colonies your sister established.”

Scott narrowed his eyes on Tann, his fists tightening at his sides, “With all due respect Director, my family came to Andromeda to explore and I owe it to them to keep moving forward.”

“I’m sorry Ryder but-“

“Shut up Tann,” said Kandros and the air in the room shifted. Everyone but the annoyed director turned to Scott and nodded.

“Duty calls, Pathfinder. Be safe out there,” said Kandros.

Scott nodded back before turning on his heel and walking from the room.

 

Approaching the Tempest was like coming back home after a long journey, everything familiar but different in a way that was hard to determine.

On the landing pad, Vetra was overseeing the loading of supplies. She flashed Scott a tight-mandibled smile as he passed.

In the cargo bay, Gil was signing a final checklist of all the oncoming supplies. He looked up long enough to give Scott a knowing smirk before dismissing the dockworker with a sarcastic quip.

In the research room, Liam and Jaal were trading insults while running final equipment checks.

In the hallway, Scott passed both Lexi and Drack as they conversed about the latter’s next appointment. The Krogan gave him a bored look but Scott just shrugged. There was no way he was getting between Lexi and her charge. He knew better.

Finally, Scott found his way to the bridge where Suvi greeted him with a smile and Kallo turned in his chair.

“Vetra and Gil report that we’re ready to go whenever you are.”

Scott nodded and moved toward the Pathfinder display in the center of the bridge. As he stood there, he felt the ragged hole in his chest deepen.

Sara's ghost haunted the platform, crushing him under the weight of her legacy. Then he heard her voice, playing through his head as if she were standing right beside him.

“Find the next frontier, Scott. Then come back and tell me all about it. Okay?”

“Okay,” he whispered, his resolve renewed by a silent promise. He would make sure everything Sara sacrificed was not done in vain. 

With a swipe of the display, Scott locked in the coordinates of their next destination. Then he turned away from the console and looked up at the ceiling.

“SAM?”

“Yes, Pathfinder?”

Scott smiled sheepishly, “Can you keep a record of everything? For Sara to see when she wakes up?”

“Of course, Pathfinder.”

“Oh, and SAM?”

“Yes, Pathfinder?”

“Don’t call me, Pathfinder.”

“Understood…Scott.”


End file.
